Egypt and Rome
by Panda Doru The Geek God
Summary: Yaoi. SetoJou. When the Priest Seto was young, he met a blonde boy in Rome. Now, as a man, he still can't forget Katsuya Jounouchi. He never expected he'd see him again, nor that he'd be a slave...
1. The tale of the Roman

Sorry if this is one of those stories that a lot of people have done. I've had this idea for a couple months and decided to try it out.

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The small priest in training named Seto let out a growl as the sun beat down on his tan skin. _His _Pharaoh had _made _him go to Rome in hopes to bring the two nations into an agreement to end the long lasting bloodshed. He sat next to Pharaoh Akunumkanon, Atem's father, as he discussed the future treaty between the two powerful countries with the king of Rome, Gozoburo Caesar. The salt and pepper-haired man seem to barely pay attention as he watched two gladiators in the large coliseum duke it out. "I don't see why we have to talk about this now." Gozoburo yawned and ran a hand along his grey hair, not even glimpsing at the old, highly dressed Pharaoh and his priest-in-training minion.

Seto looked over to the battlefield, wondering what could be that damn interesting. There was a smaller man dressed in lustre metal armour against an obese man with brown, light leather armour. "What's so great about this barbaric game?" The little Seto spoke out of turn as the large man swung his long sword at the short, thin man only to have it evade it with easy. Seto's eyes widened in shocked. That was a magnificent block and almost seemed impossible to do at that.

"Please," Gozoburo asked with courtesy, running a finger against his furry chin, "I seem to not be the only one interested in the fight, my Pharaoh. Let's discuss the terms later, I'll have you know you're more than safe in my presence."

"I see," Akunumkanon rejoined, making sure he remained in an upright position, the pharaohic way. Back straight, head high, legs slightly parted, and arm snaking down along the arm rest.

The priest-in-training watched them small man in interest as he blocked, dodged and then went on the attack, turning the whole battle around, putting the large man into a defensive state, trying to ward off the small man. The man in leather was about to sing back into the attack when he tripped back. Seto was sure he heard the little man cackle and smack the larger one with the side of his sword, throwing him into unconsciousness. The man took off his opponent's helmet to reveal a tan, fat man with a mohawk. "Caesar!" The man yelled in with an odd accent. "My lord, what say you?"

Gozoburo laid back slightly, moving a hand to his eyes to provide shade and another out, his thumb erected up. Seto and Akunumkanon both raised an eyebrow before the king snapped the thumb down and the stadium around cheered. "What's going on?" Seto asked, ready to stand.

"The man shall not live." Is all the Caesar got out before the small man's sword glided into his opponent's chest, a small gush of blood spraying quickly on the winner. "He's boring as all, but him," he pointed to the victor, "that man is Katsu Jounouchi, my greatest warrior." He let out a chuckle. "He seems to have a stroke of luck on his side, which is _very_ interesting."

"What about him?" The pharaoh asked, not faltered by the blood and gore. "He seems like another warrior to me."

The man took off his helmet to show his pale, sweat-covered face and cheered at his victory to the roaring crowd. "Katsu is the champion!!" He screamed happily, jumping up and down and throwing his helmet to the side. "Bring me anyone ya got!"

Gozoburo laughed and clapped. "He's quite amusing if I so say so myself." He looked at Seto, who seemed to gawk at the newly discovered rough blonde male as he started dancing. "Very pleasing to the eye, right priest?" The king chuckled and leaned on a hand. "I can tell him he has a fan from so high up. I'm sure he'd be delighted to meet a priest."

"What are you suggesting?" Seto spat rudely, not liking the tone in the _mighty_ ruler's voice. He lifted his lip in disgust.

"I'm saying that maybe that would be a good trade." Gozoburo said as though the blonde roughian was an item to give. "A gift for the treaty, right? I give you him to show that we are in treaty."

Akunumkanon let out a sigh. Finally the King was talking business. He didn't want the sloppy looking boy, but if it started things on their way to a treaty he'd play along. "Yes, Seto can take care of that, as for you and I, the treaty should get underway." He stood up quickly, the sun glaring in Gozoburo's eyes as he followed the Pharaoh. "Shall we begin?"

Gozoburo nodded and stood too, waving for Akunumkanon to follow him. "I shall have a servant of mine escort you the dinning room. Katsu will meet you there," he walked away with the Pharaoh close behind.

Seto let out another growl. Why was he always the one to take care of the lower forms? If it were up to him such roughians would get what was coming to them and end their life to save time and energy. Who were they to be called gifts to people such as him? Dirty, filthy gift indeed. It would be like training a stupid canine. Did he really want to deal with that? He knew the Pharaoh wouldn't want such a mutt. Seto might have been young, but he wasn't stupid. "High Priest?" A little brownish-red headed girl asked with a big smile. "Come with me, sire." She gracefully walked ahead of him, with her hands in front, clasped together.

"That didn't take long." Seto sneered as he followed her. The girl's hair wagged back and forth like a tail as she walked.

"Actually, it's been quite a while," she just muttered as she opened a large door with some struggle to reveal a huge, marble white room with a long table where the sweaty warrior man was eating. "Katsu!" The girl cheered running up to the warrior. The blonde man stood up, making it apparent to Seto that he was an older man.

He boy stood up and took the slave girl into his arms. "Shizuka!" He cried happily and nuzzled into her. "Did you see me? I was great!" He picked the girl up and twirled her around as she giggled and held on tight. The girl was obviously younger than Seto, but all much as he figured in this land the girl was most likely a wife... or lover.

Or not.

"Of course you were daddy!" She cheered as her legs swung limp as they spun. He stopped and let go, both stumbling around slightly with shits and giggles before leaning on the other. Seto cleared his throat loudly, making the blonde and the red head look at him. "Katsuya saw you too!!" The girl jumped away and bowed to the priest. "Sorry, priest Seto." She scampered away and shut the door on her way out, leaving her father to the mercy of priest; if Seto had any.

"Lord Caesar relayed that yer a fan, I guess." Katsu grinned and sat down, picking up a large cooked leg from some animal. "Not dat I'm complainin' if you are, nice to know the youth are interested in my talent." He dug into the leg like an animal, pieces flying everywhere.

Seto cringed at the horrible sight. Never in his life had he seen such improper etiquette. "You're going to choke, idiot." He spat at the disgusting man.

Katsu looked up angrily, still chewing on the meat. "Hey, you mind yer own damn--" Suddenly tears filled his eyes as he felt something lodge in an odd part of his through. It felt like fire and he couldn't even cough let alone breath. He tried to inhale but the only made it worst and he grabbed his throat, not knowing what to do. Without his even realising it the priest made his way around to the back of the blonde. Katsu looked down at the freaked out boy and fell onto the floor. Seto put his little arms around the pale man's stomach and pushed into the abdomen, but nothing, so Seto did it again, this time heaving harder.

Katsu kakked out a small ball of chewed up meat and the priest quickly let go of him so he fell to the ground, trying to catch his breath. "Idiot," Seto hissed, looking down at the old man, "planning to do that again?" The blonde nodded as he coughed on the floor, not able to speak. Seto knelt down and laughed at the warrior, raking his finger roughly through Katsu's messy hair his hiss turned into a snicker. "You're simpleton."

"Thanks a lot, kid." He sputtered, still trying to clear his throat. Suddenly a golden chalice full of a purple-red coloured wine was handed to him, complements of the priest who just recently seem to have saved his life. He chugged the wine, satisfying his rough throat. "Th-ank you." He looked up to see the little priest looking at him with curious blue eyes. "Odd..." his eyes wouldn't look away from the dark crystalline orbs.

"What is?" Seto asked, trying to figure out what would be so weird.

"You got blue eyes kid," the man stated the obvious. "I didn't know Egyptian's could have those colour eyes."

"Thanks for noticing idiot." Seto spat and bopped the older man on the head. "You seem to have the intelligence of a pig."

The old warrior laughed and patted the little boy on the head. "You're gonna be someone great someday aren't cha kid?" He grinned at the boy and leaned back a bit, closing his eyes. "Yep, you'll be someone great and my boy 'n' girl'll hear praises of you're name I'm sure."

Tears suddenly entered the boy's eyes and he jumped on the warrior. "Thank you!" He rubbed his nose into the man's sweaty dirt-covered shirt. "No one's ever said something so nice to me."

The old man chuckled and patted the boy on his head before tucking his hand between Seto's slightly long hair and the back of his neck, giving him a hug back. "Its okay boy..." he chuckled using his free hand to pat Seto on the back. "You're a good kid, one day people'll know it too, if they don't already see it."

"Thank you, mister." He turned his head and that's when he saw some little blonde boy. No... he wasn't _some_ little blonde boy... he was a beautiful little blonde boy. "Who are you?"

"I should be the one askin' that, bein' that you got yer arms wrapped around my pops." The boy said in a weak tenor voice with cockiness the to-be priest never heard before. "So who the heck are you?"

Seto stood up proudly as the boy came closer curiously. "I'm Seto, the next in line as High Priest and second next to be pharaoh," he crossed his arms and continued, the boy still nearing, "I'm eleven years old and I can do whatever I want."

The boy looked down to the boy who didn't even make it to his chin. "Well shorty, you can be what ever, but you're still a shrimp." He patted the boy on the head tauntingly as his father stood up. "I'm Katsuya Jounouchi, I'm ten years old, an' goin' to be the second best warrior in all of Rome, my dad being first and all."

Seto laughed, wanted to break the will of the ignorant boy. "Oh don't worry, you can still be number one. You're dad is coming with me as a gift for completing the treaty between Egypt and Rome."

"What?" Both Katsu and Katsuya barked angrily, wanting to know just what the little priest was talking about.

Seto grinned to the older man with a childish glint of hope in his eyes. "You can be my dad!" He cheered, no one knowing how serious he was being. "I want you to be my dad... no one else's. Not Katsuya's, not Shizuka's, only mine! And you can tell me how great I am all the time... and when the Priest Akunadin tells me I'm bad at what I do and I'll never be anything you can scare him because you're a warrior and you could easily do that!" He let out a pant as a result of not breathing as he spoke.

"I'm sorry Seto, but as long as I can, I'm staying with my children, they're all I got," he smiled down as his son clamped onto his leg, "and I'm all they got. That's why I haven't let myself die yet."

Seto brought his hands to his chest as tears came down from his eyes. "_But_ I want that!"

It wasn't long before the little Shizuka came back with her head down, "Priest Seto, Pharaoh Akunumkanon and King Gozoburo are done... I'll escort you back to you're master."

"But what about the gift?" Seto cried, feeling like he needed someone to be there for him. He needed Katsuya's father more than the blonde ever would! At least in his opinion.

"Your pharaoh refused my father..." she said brightly, holding her hands together. "The king and you're pharaoh came to a treaty! Both our countries are safe now!" She grabbed Seto's hand and pulled him away. He tried to fight back, but the little girl was very strong when excited. Seto didn't want to leave... he wanted to stay with the warrior known as Katsu.

"No!" Seto screamed before he was taken away and inevitably, back to Egypt where he grew for the next seven years. His father, who happened to be the priest Akunadin without him knowing it, had died only years before, making Seto responsible for finding a priest to take over if he were to become of the dead. Being in Rome and meeting was a distant memory, one that never made it's way to the surface of Seto's mind.

He chose a bright-eyed boy named Mokuba, who was the closest thing he could say he really held as a family member. "Aah, one of several names for the god of the moon. He was described as a man wearing the moon symbol, which was a combination of the full moon and the crescent." The boy with long, shaggy raven black hair muttered to his teacher, mentor, and the one he called his brother. "Geb, the earth god, father of Osiris." Mokuba recited from memory as Seto went over some notes for a temple ritual.

"Good job and who is Osiris?" Seto asked as he slid a piece of magnifying glass, rimmed with gold, over the scroll he was reading. Every year his eyesight seemed to get a little worse and he figured it wouldn't be long before he just went blind.

Mokuba let out a groan and leaned back, closing his eyes and crossing his arms, "Osiris... God of underworld and judge of dead; son of Geb and Nut." He smiled at Seto, knowing that he was making his surrogate brother proud, even though the line that showed to separate the High Priest's mouth stayed a flat, unmovable line. "Can I be done for the day? I want to get ready to go to the Festival of Ra!" He pouted when Seto didn't answer. "Please?"

"Knock yourself out kid." He let out, before Mokuba scampered off, knowing the priest was ready to change his mind if Mokuba didn't show the right enthusiasm. It wasn't like he could have fun anymore. The holder of the millennium rod was no longer able to have fun... if what his so-called father called fun was actually the truth. He had to do an important ritual in the temples of Ra, Horus, and Osiris. Not one, but three important gods and he happened to be the high priest. That wasn't the worst part though. This was all for Atem, when he died, how comforting. He became Pharaoh not long ago and was very young, but it was something Seto had to study up on since his father died. It was just a shame that Atem received the job over him.

Not that Seto ever wanted that responsibility, but Atem was beyond spoiled by his father and did not have the proper training Akunumkanon was supposed to uphold, being the less cruel of the two brothers. He inherited the millennium puzzle and all the responsibilities of the previous pharaoh. He wasn't ready and Seto knew the trade by heart... and all in all, he felt he was much better than his wayward cousin and was even born before him. If it wasn't for his father being the second born twin, Seto could be Pharaoh right now and Atem could the lousy priest and him were always meant to be.

He let out a groan and slid his had into his crossed arms on the table. So much had happened in the sort time of one year. The woman he loved, Kisara, died in order to being about the blue-eyes white dragon, his father parishes soon after, only revealing on his deathbed that he was truly Seto's father and the he was betrothed to a woman he couldn't stand. None of this was his wanting. He wanted the woman he tried so hard to protect, he didn't want to be a priest, and he sure as hell didn't want to marry that slut of a woman Neith. She was cruel and wicked... much like Seto, but that's not what he wanted. He actually just wanted to be left alone.

"Seto!" A strong voice hollered throughout the room in a booming fashion, but the priest decided to ignore it, in wrapping the scroll even further to read the hieroglyphics on how to perform the temple rituals properly. Atem stomped in with his cape fluttering heavily behind him with the most pissed off look he could muster. "You're killing off too many damn slaves! At this rate we'll have none left!"

"None, dear pharaoh?" The priest chucked, not stopping his studies. No unimportant matter would stop him from finishing what he needed to know. "If it there were no slaves left there wouldn't be many royalty left either... and we have oh-so many of those." His voice became that of a muse as his magnified glass skimmed the hieroglyphics.

"You know what I mean." Atem growled, not liking how Seto never seemed to pay attention to him. "You're killing off slaves faster then we can replace them." He slammed his fists on the table; rattling bottles of ink and shaking the candles, making the fire flicker until the wax sticks balanced.

Seto didn't even flinch. "They didn't follow my order," he muttered, "so I only did them a favour by killing them off quickly before..." he let out a snicker, "they displeased you, my lord."

"Well then, since my men can't seem to find worthy slaves, you can go out and buy enough for the ones you've killed." Atem smirked; knowing Seto couldn't back out of it. "I'll give you the proper amount of gold and you can bring some guard." He leaned across the table to bring his nose within a few centimetres of Seto's. "Since you know which ones are worthy and which ones aren't."

And sure enough Atem wasn't joking. Seto soon found himself in the middle of the market. Jewellery merchants trying to heckle a few silver pieces out of the local wealth, slave traders trying to make a profit from the human lives they captured. That's where Seto was heading. He kicked up tons of dust on the dirt covered marble road that was set up to impress travelling foreigners.

He was making his way down when a streak of yellow and ivory fly past him. The streak seemed to have a rope dangling form the end of it and Seto grabbed on and pulled on it. The slave attached to the rope let out a squeak before smacking in face into the hard marble. "Sonova bi--" The slave muttered on the pavement, his nose felt completely flattened. He didn't move, but shifted his eyes to his pale, but slightly reddened arms. They were bounded together by a thick, horsehair rope. He only realised someone was on the other end of the rope when it was yanked on. "The hell!" The blonde-haired, red-eyed slave looked up to see a towering man dressed in a long, purple robe.

"You!" Seto barked angrily, knowing who the slave was. All the memories of his short time in Rome flooding back like a swollen dam-break. "What the hell are you doing here like this, Katsu?!"

The blonde eyes widened. "That's my dad's name, who the hell are you?!" He demanded, forgetting about his whole predicament as he tried to use his practically fused together hands to lift himself up. The man who seemed to know his father's name actually helped him up and began to chuckle. "What?"

"Katsuya..." he purred, forcefully pulling the short, blonde close to him. "Looks like I've grown... shrimp." The priest put on a smirk as the slave remained confused, "I'm Seto... that boy who wanted you're dad as a pet."

Katsuya's eyes widened those taunting words. "Oh shit... why don't I like this all of a sudden?" He whimpered and tried to pull away from the taller man. He tried to wriggle to make the rope loosen away from the priest's hand, but to counteract Katsuya obvious tactics he slowly wrapped the rope around his hand over and over in an almost taunting way. "What the hell are you going to do?"

Seto's eye widened in excitement as he licked his lips. "Buy you..." he muttered before his head shot from side to side, looking for the merchant in charge of slave trade.

A man ran up to the priest and rebel slave. "I am so sorry sire! This maggot will be punished! _Severely_." He gasped and tried to grab the rope, but Seto thrust his hand away. The man looked up at Seto then back at the hand with the rope and tried again, only to fail once more.

"How much for this one?" Seto asked smoothly, bringing his gaze back onto his subjugate soon-to-be slave.

"B-but... this slave just tried to escape!" The ecstatic merchant explained, waving his hands up and down. If he sold a slave to such an obviously wealthy person and the slaved acted up again, it would be the merchants head! And if not his head it would be even worse! His business! Then he'd have no way of supporting his wife and children! "I can't let you take him! If word gets out that my slaves aren't trained, I'm ruined!"

"You won't be ruined, I want him like he is." Seto hissed and Katsuya could have sworn he saw the priest's eyes slit. "If that is so hard to understand maybe I'll teach you." A large guard suddenly appeared behind Seto and stood as a great warning to the man.

"F-fine... eh... twenty pieces of silver?" He was being desperately cheap being the slave was obviously not taught how to be an obedient slave from his last master.

"I'll give you thirty for this one alone if you bring me three good others." Seto bartered with the man as the guard behind him took Katsuya's rope already knowing to be gentle with him or there could be dire consequences. "None like that one, I want loyal, strong, and hard workers of course for the other three."

The merchant nodded silently and waved for the priest to follow. They didn't go very far before stopping at a large, muscular Egyptian man who was practically bald except for a patch on the back of his head. The patch was only large enough to put into a long ponytail. Seto looked up and down the tall man with a sneer. He looked dirty, but of course they all were, even Katsuya was, but the blonde never looked like he ever was a slave before. Covered in dried muck and mud, scraps and scabs, and the scars from a life of whippings told like a story on his back.

Seto stepped around the large man, looking for any imperfection that might cripple the man from going about his work properly. All in all the man seemed fine though, looked like a strong worker and was obviously _trained_ well. He groped at the tall man's chin and his mouth automatically opened, the slave knowing the routine. Seto checked his teeth to see how rotted out they were at this point only to find they where quite nice for a slave. "Well sire?" The man finally asked, almost afraid that breaking the looming silence would be his downfall. Sure, the market was loud and people rambled, but the priest seemed to seen hanging onto sanity by only a few threads. Not something a humble man like himself wanted to loose his business over.

"He'll do." He said and looked up at the giant. "Tell me wretch, whom else do you see fit as servants to the High Priest Seto."

The slave slowly brought his hands out, being he was tied up and pointed at two boys with quite pale skin for the Egyptian sun. One had long, bushy white hair while the other had long silky black. "Those two are extremely hard workers though they look weak, your lordship, very loyal and never question their masters." The large slave's voice was deep, but filled with so much serenity that it was hard to believe such a person could own it.

"And you'd never tell you master a lie, would you?" Seto asked, signalling for the guards to get the said slaves. "There would be dire consequences."

"Never, your lordship." He muttered, bowing his head, knowing if he were to bow completely, wouldn't be getting up for awhile.

"Good." He gave the trader his amount due and looked at his new pet, which so desperately tried to get free of the many guards that held him. "Now lets go." He snapped his fingers and the other two slaves, along with the large one where taken into custody by Seto guards and he looked down to Katsuya. "I think I'd like to walk my new pet." He took the rope to the guards, pulling Katsuya close, a smirk seemed to be plastered to his lips. "Come now, my little doggy."

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How's my first chapter? -sighs- I did a lot of practice before starting up writing again... I hope its okay... Syonara!

I still need a beta! Pretty please? (I tried to edit this... as you can see I still messed up a bunches)


	2. Introduction to a New World

Wow... 10 reviews for one chapter... that's a bit insane on my part... I'm not used to that. Keep getting my reviews like this and I'll dance for you guys! Naked or non-naked? He he! Hope you enjoy this chapter as much as the last!!

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Katsuya kept his head down as the high priest dragged him back to wherever he was planning to take him. It was humiliating... once a great Roman warrior, now a pitiful slave boy. Where did it all go wrong? Why did he have to suffer? What horrible thing did he do that the gods decided to punish him this way!?

His mind stayed on the looming subject of why for a while until he was forced to the ground, for apparently no reason. He looked up to see a completely new face, was obviously not much older than himself nor Seto, but was already showing signs of frown wrinkles and light bags under the eyes.

"So," The stranger spoke up, leaning back on his large, throne-like chair and closed his eyes. "These four slaves will go in place for the ones you killed off, but Seto, from now on you'll have to come to me and I will judged whether their crimes are worth death." The two smaller slaves flinched while the large one looked indifferent and Katsuya just was too confused to comprehend the situation. "Got it?"

"Yes Pharaoh, now if you don't mind can I have my slaves escorted to my quarters?" Seto growled and walked away, his cape flowing behind him.

Katsuya was suddenly was yanked up by a guard and pulled along with the other slaves. They were led in and out of large room, down long hallways and even into a garden before making it their destination. It was a small house more fit as a stable for horses or pig, but by the looks of it seemed to be a cleaning area, which wasn't at all comforting to know. The slaves were quickly stripped of the rag clothing that covered very little and kicked into dirty water that was only a bit cleaner than they, then quickly tugged out. The guards put a sarong on each one to cover their lower halves. "Come on, wenches." One of the guards barked and pulled them to something that could be considered a small palace.

They were thrown to the ground and the other guard laughed. "Don't plan on escaping, we're everywhere." He kicked at the boy with white hair before walking out of the giant room.

Katsuya sighed and went over to the crying boy, patting him on the back. "Hey man, it couldn't have hurt that bad."

"No..." The boy whimpered, grabbing hold on his stomach. "My sister..." he clung onto Katsuya and cried freely, forgetting that his older brother told him that men never cry. "They killed my sister and took me away from my brother! They were all I had!"

Katsuya felt himself frown, quickly freeing himself from the ropes and hugged the boy. "It'll be okay... I'll be sure to think of a way to get us all out." He gripped the boy tightly, knowing it was the only thing he can do. "We'll get out of here... I'll even teach you my little rope trick if you stop crying."

The boy looked up with chocolate brown eyes and sniffled a bit. "Okay... I'm Ryou..." Katsuya could still see the pain in his eyes, but the tears were now gone. He looked like death at the moment and the blonde wondered if it he was starved or it was his living situation that made the boy so skinny.

"Call me Jou." He grinned and looked at the boy with black hair. "And you'd be...?"

"Ry--... call me Otogi... Just a slave with no past so I guess there's no real reason for asking." He sat back and tried to get off his ropes by himself, without much success.

The tall man with a ponytail took Otogi's hands and gently untied them, his wrists still very much bounded. "I'm Rishid... nice to meet all of you... I'm sure... this acquaintance will last quite a long time..."

"Until death I'm sure..." Otogi said, taking off Rashid's ropes for him. There was a good amount of silences, all but the tall man affected by what was said. Jou let go of Ryou and looked down while the boy with snowy-white hair just kept close to his new friend and Otogi gritted his teeth. "And that bastard... I've heard many things about him... that he's a murderer... not just with slaves... but helped his father kill a huge thief city in order to make these things called Sennen Items. Of course it was all the Pharaoh's idea... but it was the High Priest and his father that truly have the blood on their hands." Everybody looked at Otogi with pure shock before the boy with emerald green eyes continued. "I heard he fell in love with a slave girl a while back but she had something special about her, something with her soul and the High Priests wanted it, so he killed her... just like that...what kind of nut case would kill their own lover?"

Jou suddenly put a finger over Otogi's mouth and went over to the curtain-covered door and pounced, bringing a guard into the room. "Well, well, I didn't think it'd be this easy." The blonde hissed and nuzzled into the guard's neck, a sadistic look buried in his eyes. "I think I found our passport, guys."

"H-hey! Let me go!" He yelled, trying to break free from the Roman's stone-like grip. "I was just listening to the conversation! I know everything and I'll tell you if you just let me go!" Jou looked at Otogi who just nodded, complying that it would be safe to let the guard go. The blonde pushed him onto Otogi, throwing harder than intended. The guard blushed and stood up quickly before helping the slave with long black hair to his feet. "You're right about Priest Seto... how he's a murderer... you really have no idea until you've experienced it first hand such as I... so.." He untied a little bag that was hooked to his sarong and handed it over to Otogi before letting out a sigh. "He'll try to starving you to break you guys... just hide this somewhere..."

Otogi looked inside the bag to see beautiful golden bread and looked up at the guard, not sure what to think. It wasn't like he didn't trust the guard, he had no reason not to. "Why are you helping us?"

The guard blushed and rubbed the back of his head, not sure what to say. He opened his mouth, but instead of words coming out it just was him with his jaw dropped like an idiot. "I... he's killed a lot... I'd hate to see more... you know..." He blubbered out, not sure what else he could say.

"Name's Otogi..." The boy with black hair said with a smile. "Thanks for the help."

"Call me Honda..." He waved his hand before leaving and Otogi looked at the bag, knowing that his stomach longed for the taste of food that was deprived from him for almost his fifth day. "Jou, tie this under your clothing." He said and gave the blonde the sack. "I can't keep this... my will power is faltering..."

Jou blinked and shrugged, doing so, making sure that it wouldn't fall out. Right after, Seto entered the room, growling softly as a woman followed him in and crossed her arms. She had straight, black hair and brown--almost black--coloured eyes. "I'll take the big one and the blonde." She demanded looking them up and down.

"You're not getting the blonde, I bought him with my own money, got it?" Seto barked, pulling a stunned and confused Jou to his side. "You can have all the rest, but this one's mine and I'm not sharing, Isis."

Isis hummed and looked the skinny boy with white hair over. "Malik would like this one... he's been nagging me for have his own slave for a while. Not much of a worker anyway." She pinched his skin, making Ryou jump. "If you must have the blonde I can settle for the big guy and the girly looking one... but I'm not giving any up if you kill yours off." She took hold of Ryou's rope and fingered for Rashid and Otogi to follow her. "I'll be back in a bit with that wife of yours, please do prepare for her. I don't to spend another night listening to her complain about you. She's supposed to be you're problem, not mine." And with that she was gone, leaving Jou's jaw dropped to the ground.

"You're married?!" He squeaked and looked up at Seto. "You can't be married! You're evil!"

Seto smirked and took Jou's wrists. "You come to conclusions too quickly, mutt, a wife does not have to be someone you love." He allowed Jou to search his eyes for any insincerity, which was quite unneeded as Jou had no way of telling. "Tragic isn't it? Forced into breeding like I'm some animal, and the worse part is that I think that bitch is in favour of it." His smirk turned into a yawn and he politely covered his mouth. "It's barely midday and I'm incredibly tired."

"Then sleep, jackass." Jou scoffed; crossing his arms and puffed his chest out.

Seto simply rolled his eyes and lead Jou to the bed. "I am sleeping, and being my new pet, you will sleep with me." He pushed the blonde onto the bed and yawned again. "I awoke before sun rise so I could complete my duties and then the whole slave trade..." He walked around his bed and lay down, pulling a silk sheet out from under him and Jou. "Don't think that means if you escape while I'm out that I won't hunt you down." He smiled and kissed Jou on the forehead. "Now sleep, bitch." The priest said in an almost playful tone.

Jou blinked, never so unbearably confused. He just watched Seto cuddle up to the silk like a child and couldn't believe the evil man at the slave markets and the one who just kissed him on the forehead could possibly be the same person. The problem with this phenomenon of realising Seto wasn't a minion of Pluto(1) was discomforting being he sure as hell acted like it. He wanted to have a reason to hate Seto, but he was sure making it hard when he couldn't even relate him to the evil god of death.

His eyes became heavy and he couldn't help but feel his body relax. The day had been long, probably much longer than him than it was for the bitching priest. His mind lulled off and all he could do was think of home, how he wanted to see his sister.

Seto woke up about a few hours later seeing his new slave sleeping soundly. He smiled and pet his new little slave. Jou seemed to glow while sleeping. Looking like a complete idiot with no clue of what's what in the world and just as simple as a grain of wheat. It was sad that he looked so innocent, but Seto knew it was just because of his vulnerable state.

How long had it been since he saw him? How many times did he think of the little boy that loved his father so dearly? How often did he just long to have a family? About Shizuka, about Katsu? About Katsuya? He kissed the blonde on the head before getting up and stretching his back.

Suddenly, he became aware of his wife leaning against the doorframe, admiring her husband's little trophy boy. "He's nice." She purred out, flipping a stand of wavy, deep black hair out of her perfect tan face with the flick of the neck. "Never have you ever shared your bed with a slave, so why do I have the feeling there's more to this than just a simple pet?"

Seto grunted at the woman dressed in the finest jewellery and silk in all Egypt. "I knew him as a child, that's all." He took of his garment in front of the woman, showing no modesty towards her. "Now go away, Neith, I have things to do."

Jou awoke, not sure where he was until he heard a woman speak up, and even then he still didn't know where he was, but there definitely seemed to be a woman in the room.

"Just don't get any ideas, we're bound together until death and hate to say, I think there's a bit more to this, such a pretty blonde boy." She hissed, not liking her husband's new fancy. "It took three months for us to share a bed and here I see a slave!"

Not daring to reveal consciousness, Jou just peeked and eye open to see Seto completely naked in front of a woman. "See... the thing you can't seem to grasp is that it was you who convinced the pharaoh to agree to our arrangement." He went to a chest and pulled out another, even more beautiful robe. "I told you on numerous occasions I don't want children, I don't want a wife, and I _hate_ everyone who lives in this palace." The high priest slid the dazzling dress over his head and continued. "The pharaoh lives in the palace, Isis lives in the palace, _you_ live in the palace... have you caught on yet you petty slut?!"

Neith scoffed at her husband before stomping away and Jou finally stood up. "She's your wife, man, why are you being such a dick to her?"

Seto turned around, rage in his eyes. "Maybe if she wasn't a goddamn slut, you fucking mutt! Don't tell me who the dick is!" Seto pushed Jou onto the bed and pinned him down. "She was the one who wanted to get married! She was the one who pressed to get me away from Kisara! The high priest and the famous magician, perfect right?" Jou just looked up into Seto's painful eyes, not knowing what to say. Seto closed his eyes and pulled something out of a pouch on his waist, bringing out a piece of paper with a good amount of hieroglyphics written on it before getting off the blonde. "Take it. It's a love charm from the great priest Seto, so I'm guessing it works... just not for me."

Jou blinked as he took the proffered. "Like I'm going to find anyone here." He laughed before sitting up and looking at the foreign writing. "I hear slaves aren't that hot when it comes to royalty."

Seto smiled and tilted his head, looking at Jou. "Seems like, but falling isn't really a choice, this just makes sure the perfect person for you _does _fall for you."

Jou looked at Seto before snapping his eyes back down to the paper. There were many pictures he never seen before and he assumed they were used to for the Egyptians' written language. "I've heard some bad stories about you, but I'm not sure I believe them... I mean... you're being so nice.... there's no way–"

"They're all true." He snapped his eyes away before standing up. "I'm a murderer... may it follow me to my judgement..." He walked out the door, leaving Jou in shock from the comment.

The blonde stared at the paper and decided right then and there that he'd figure out for himself what was the truth. If Seto was a murderer... or maybe there was something else. There was so much pain in his already worn eyes and it just made Jou wonder. What was the truth?

Ryou whimpered and dodged another knife his sadistic master threw at him, actually wanting to hit him. "Please stop!" He cried, ducking his head as the tan boy with dusty blonde hair and lavender eyes picked up the knife, licking the blade. "I've done everything you've asked! Don't hurt me!" To think he just the boy just lashed out like Ryou had done something to him, but just came out of no where, trying to cut him for some odd reason.

The teenager smirked and knelt down to his pale slave. "You look like pure ivory... are you some kind of god?"

Ryou looked up to the one known as Malik with large eyes. "If I was, I wouldn't be scared." He whimpered, not knowing what the crazy teen would do to him next. "I ask you, please don't hurt me..."

Malik hummed and looked up for a little while, thinking it over. "If you're that fearful of me, I could settle down." He crossed his arms and pouted. "I wanted a fun slave, why'd I get you?"

Ryou bowed and looked down. "I'm sorry master, if you want to continue, please do." He kept himself bowed until he heard Malik laugh and lift his head. "Master?"

"You're just a masochist aren't you?" He asked, looking into Ryou's soft brown eyes. "Maybe you're not as boring as I thought, no ones ever offered to let me hunt them, it's usually forced." Malik examined his new slave top to bottom before making an announcement. "I'm keeping you, but you're wearing nicer clothes, that way I can have you run around the palace with me! You like pranking people right?"

Ryou lit up, for the first time since he was caught he didn't feel sad or angry or scared. He just laughed, so happy he was fortunate enough to have a master who wasn't going to hurt him. Sure, things didn't start off perfect, but the act of pranking was the beginning of an unbreakable bond. "Of course, Master Malik." He smiled, feeling tear run down his cheeks.

Malik almost meeped as the pale boy hugged onto him. "What are you doing!?" He yelped, never having some hug nor cry on him besides his sister. "G-ge–"

"I'm sorry master!" Ryou cried out, hugging Malik tighter. "I'm not scared now! I'll be good!"

Malik blinked before smiling and patting Ryou on the back. "Just don't get used to it... you're kind weird." He hugged onto his slave and noticed his cheekbones sticking out in an unattractive manner. In fact, he was much too skinny, even for an under fed slave. "I'm hungry, Ryou, let's go eat." He pulled Ryou up and dragged him off, not pleased to keep his first personal slave in this emaciated fashion.

The pure Egyptian boy slowly took off Ryou's clothes, making the slave whimper, feeling scared again. "What'er--" Was all he was able to say before Malik looked up and shushed him.

"I'm getting you out of these filthy clothes." He whispered with a slight purr, looking down Ryou's now pale naked body. "My sister gave you to me... so..." he put his hands on Ryou's hips. "I just have to know why you're so white? I haven't seen a slave as pale as you since that priest's lover came here." He quickly grabbed a thick sash and wrapped it around Ryou. "Of course, we thought she was an omen..." The blonde worked the tie on the sash and smiled onto Ryou. "You're a bit different from her though."

"The priest fell in love, Master?" Ryou asked, not understanding how such a cruel man could ever have a lover.

"When she died... he changed... its kinda sad." He looked into his slaves eyes and smiled. "Lets go eat, my little slave." He pulled on Ryou's arm, taking him down many halls and passageways filled with designs and hieroglyphic that Ryou was almost able to read. They kept going until they reached a large kitchen with many servant and slaves running around hastily. Ryou whimpered and hid himself behind his master. "Seto?" Malik asked, walking up to the priest, his slave close behind. "What are you doing here?"

Seto looked down to Malik with a glare. "Shouldn't you be back in your room, you pampered brat?" He spat, never liking how Isis spoiled her little brother. A slave suddenly walked up to Seto with a tray of food, seeing if the high priest was pleased. Seto looked the treats over and nodded. "Send it to my room and leave instantly." He commanded the slave before she ran off. Seto brought his gaze back to Malik and rolled his eyes. "What is it you're doing here?"

Malik smirked and put an arm around his slave's shoulder. "Doing as you are, I guess, feeding my slave." He looked at the blushing Ryou. "Come slave, I grow weary of the high priest." He walked away, going to one of the cooks.

Seto just let out a small grunt before leaving the room, having no other reason to stay. He had an appointment with his Pharaoh discussing the upcoming of a ceremony called the Festival of Ra. He was interested about it actually, so was Atem because it was one of the few festivals in which they could get involved. It was one of the best festivals being as people came from every where; even the Europeans came to the festival, which was odd because most did not approve with the Egyptian way of life for the mere fact that they were much richer than most countries and yet even though their land was bad, they still lived healthy lives.

"My Pharaoh." Seto bellowed, entering the throne room to see the entire group of priests and priestesses who held the Sennen items. Priest Shada with the Sennen Anhk, having the ability enter peoples minds; Priestess Isis with her Sennen Tauk, with the ability to see the future; Priest Mahado with the Sennen Ring, holding the ability to put souls into objects; Priest Karim with the Sennen scale, able to weight peoples sins; and the man who replaced Priest Akunadin when he died; Pegasus, the holder of the Sennen Eye, with the ability to read people's mind as well as bring out their Ka for judgement. With the pharaoh on his throne and now the High Priest with the group, the preparations for the festival could begin; readying themselves to travel across the Nile and Northeast to Heliopolis, the city where the Temple of Ra would fund the festival.

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If you didn't know... Jou is Roman . If I didn't point that out... so he goes by the roman god status. Pluto is the god of death there... if you know Greek mythology he's almost the same god as Hades. Pretty evil... not really any good in him, unlike Anubis, the Egyptian god of death. In YuGiOh the movie they portrayed the one named Anubis as an evil man, but in reality the god Anubis isn't evil, but just god of a natural part of life, much like the rest of the Egyptian Gods and Goddesses no one is pure evil or pure good.

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Neith's a very fickle character. Of course, all of them will be when I get done with them! More on her next chapter.

My friend Princess told me to tell you all that Atem is actually Yami. If you didn't know that's his real name as the pharaoh... but of course she didn't and is quite new to the whole YuGiOh scene. It didn't take long to make her a steamy SetoJou fan though!! XD YESH!


	3. Where Our Eyes May Wander

My editor, xGoldenFeatherx, drew this picture of Seto/Jou. I just couldn't believe it, fan art! For me! Thank you, Mink-chan! Here's the Link!! http:www. deviantart. com/deviation /12641772/ (delete any spaces)

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Mai, more widely known as Neith, after the Sky-creator-goddess of war and weaving, looked over to the blonde hair boy as he walked along beside Seto's horse. He was very beautiful boy, no older than twenty with golden hair, ivory skin and ruby eyes and she just could understand why her husband wanted to keep the slave for himself. Of course, not that she cared whether or not it was actually because he had a fetish for men. Seto always played by the book and that practical book said he couldn't cheat while married. 

In Mai's case, she never was fond of that book. Sure, she'd follow it if she was in love with her husband, but after marriage she quickly learned what the term 'A stranger is as perfect as you make him out to be' because she realised then she knew a good nothing about him.

When she was younger, she just imagined Seto acted like the brooding stranger because he was shy, in fact, that belief stayed for three weeks when she realised... he's just brooding, no act intended. Sure, the girl he actually liked died and he was stuck with Neith as a wife and, sure, he was accused of murdering the girl, but that didn't mean Seto should be such a miserable person.

Neith blinked when she saw her husband's slave go face first into the sand for that seemed to be the fifth or sixth time since they crossed the Nile River by ferry. A long rope tied his wrists to the neck of Seto's black mare and guessing by it, walking on the sand wasn't this slave's forte. Seto stopped after he realised Jou wasn't getting up. He jumped off the horse, letting the other priests pass.

He helped his slave up only for him to fall back down. "It hurts..." The slave grunted, squinting his face as Seto kept him from falling back down. "I c-can't walk."

Seto smiled and chuckled. "You idiot, just get on the damn horse until your leg feels better."

Jou looked up at the horse to see a little boy with long, shaggy, ebony black hair, blinking at him curiously. "There's no room."

Seto let out an annoyed sigh and took Jou's restraints off. "If I walk there will be." He lifted the blonde boy up and hoisted him on the horse. The priest then untied the knotted ropes around Jou's wrists, wrapping them around his hand so the horse wouldn't flee and started pulling the mount along, catching up to the others very quickly.

Neith glared at Jou as Mokuba hugged onto him and jealousy set in. Never in her life did Seto trust her with his little brother and she knew for a fact is she were to fall, Seto would keep going, not even looking back, let alone help. She didn't hate Jou... she hated Seto, the one who treated her so apathetically... he... he would feel the jealousy she felt right now... as soon as she could catch that slave away from Seto...

Fortunately, not everyone in the group had revenge on the brain, prime example being Honda Hiroto, a high-ranking guard designated to protect the Pharaoh during his time out of Memphis, where the pharaoh's palace presided. From atop his brown, spotted white mare he looked down upon the slave known as Otogi with curiosity.

The slave didn't act like a slave at all. Most slaves slumped and looked side to side often as they walked; this one just stood straight, kept eyes forward, and walked gracefully as a royal. It was obvious he was Asian; though they were so rare, Honda was probably the only one that actually knew being that his mother was actually Asian, but she died young.

"You have quite an interest in that slave don't you?" Pharaoh Atem asked, cocking an eyebrow at his guard.

Honda snapped his head forward, feeling his face heat up and clears his throat. "I haven't seen someone of his complexion and appearance since my mother was alive, my lord." He confessed and turned his attention to Otogi once more. "There's something strange about him. He doesn't seem to be a commoner... but if he was royalty I doubt he'd be here... or so obedient." And those beautiful eyes looked straight at him and he couldn't even look away. His eyes... were so sad for being so perfect. "Pharaoh.... I'd like some time with him... I don't trust him."

Pharaoh Atem looked at Honda. "You are my most trusted guard." He explained. "I trust your judgement."

The high guard nodded, knowing he would get his chance soon. The sun was ready to set and Ra was ready to finish his journey across the heavens. That meant that camp would be set up soon and Honda would be able to have the slave alone. "Pharaoh, we should continue our venture at sunrise."

The Pharaoh nodded and brought his horse to a halt, all of the priest and the priestess, along with the guards, stopped almost instantaneously. "We shall camp here tonight and continue tomorrow." They all looked at the pharaoh and nodded, knowing his word was final and it was never good to question it. "Prepare my tent Shimon Muran." He told his loyal slave who stood no taller than the black steed's legs.

"Of course, my lord." The old slave that shown nothing but a pair of purple eyes told his master. "Right away." He pulled on a rope, making the pharaoh's horse kneel as it was trained to and Atem jumped off, handing his belongings to Shimon Muran.

Seto helped his brother off the mighty stallion, who giggled happily and hugged on to the priest before sliding down him. He then looked up at Jou with a smirk. "How's your foot?" He asked the blonde, not even caring to help him down.

"It's better." Jou said, jumping off the horse and steadying himself. "Now if you don't mind, I have a tent to set up." He wobbled off and Seto rolled his eyes, getting the supplies for the tent that Jou carelessly forgot.

When all the tents where placed up Honda stood outside the Pharaoh's tent while the two lesser guards stayed back to back, sleeping against the other. Seto was still up, making a protective barrier to guild evil spirits away from them. Jou watched in awe, following the High Priest around like a lap dog. "You want any help?"

Seto let out a sigh and turned to Jou. "I've told you this once and I'll tell you it again, you have to have outrageously powerful ka to do such a spell. You are a Roman, therefore you probably have a weak ka as well no intelligence to do such an incantation." He flicked Jou's nose and kept working a circle with various hieroglyphics in the sand. "Just sit there and wait."

Jou growled and sat down angrily in the soft sand, not liking the names he was just indirectly called. "Bastard." He grumbled, wondering what happened to the Seto that kissed his forehead before falling asleep the night before. He watches as Seto used an odd, short staff with a ball at the top, bending over to do so.

At this time, Honda had decided to ignore the two, waiting for Seto to get done so he could return to his tent for some well rested sleep, letting the two lesser guards take over just in case. He looked in the opposite direction of the two squabbling pair, seeing a wall of sand rushing to them. "SAND STORM!" He cried before running over to the sleeping guards and pulling them into his tent.

Seto looked back and his eyes widened then glanced over to Jou, who was drawing in sand, unaware of the dangers. "Katsuya!" He ran over to Jou and tackled him, putting his cape over him and the slave. Sand started beating rapidly on Seto's cape, lessening the blow on him, knowing Jou was completely safe. The blonde whimpered pathetically, not knowing what was going on. "Hush, just stay still, it'll be over soon." He could feel the sand start to pile up and Seto closed his eyes, pushing himself closer to his slave. "I won't let anything hurt you."

Jou hugged onto Seto, very scared, never experiencing anything like this, but he knew Seto wasn't lying. He just believed Seto couldn't lie, didn't know how to, even if it was for the better, but for right now it was and there was no reason he'd ever let go. "Protect me." He whispered and looked to his side, seeing a roundish rock roll past them because of the force of the sandstorm. He then brought his gaze up to Seto, seeing him in wrenching pain, his arms quivering at the stress of holding himself up to keep Jou safe. "Seto..." He clinged tighter, slamming his eyes shut, waiting for this horror to end.

Atem groaned as he rose out of his fallen tent after the storm and saw Seto on the ground, sand covering his body lightly and his slave under him, both unconscious. Neith growled and kicked her tent in anger. "I'm surprised we weren't buried under that!" She spat, stomping over to another tent to pull Isis out. "Where was Seto with our barrier. Fooling around I'm sure."

Isis grunted and grabbed onto her ribs. It seemed that the sandstorm did take some toll. "I ran outside... not hearing what was said... and before I knew it... it hit..." All the other priest rose out of their half buried tents and Malik ripped his open and allowed his little slave to exit it first.

Neith sighed and kept Isis from falling as Otogi and Rashid pulled themselves out of the almost buried tent, Rashid helping the weaker Otogi out when he was freed. Otogi's eyes scanned over the terrain, about to run over to help Jou when he realised that Honda's tent was completely buried. Fear struck him as the only one who lived in the palace was buried under a pile of sand.

He ran over and started digging down, into the sand, desperate to free the guard. No one besides Atem paid attention to the slave as he finally reached the crushed tent. He tore the tent open and grabbed the first hand he saw, pulling out one of the lower guards before letting him slide down the mound to rescue the next.

Luckily, this time it was Honda and except for a few red spots that would turn into bruises he seemed fine and smiled up at the slave as he was pulled out. Otogi helped Honda slide down the mound with ease. "There's one more..." Honda muttered and the slave ran back over to the tent, pulling the last of the guards out.

Honda stood up and limped over to the lower guard. "You okay Zuberi?" He asked, helping Otogi carry him.

"Yes sir." The guard just pulled out of the tent said, letting out a few coughs.

Seto groaned as Neith nudged at him with her foot. "Get up you big lump!" She yelled angrily. "Nice job on the barrier! Maybe next time you should just commit mass homicide!" She kicked him in the stomach before walking off to sit next to Isis.

Seto grumbled at Neith before lifting himself off Jou. "Get up, idiot." He told Jou, only to realise the blonde had passed out. Seto sighed and rolled his eyes before lifting the slave over his shoulder and going over to his wrecked tent to see Mokuba sitting on top of it. "You okay, Mokuba?"

The boy smiled and sat back... "I'm not the one who decided to face the sandstorm." He eyed the slave Seto had on his shoulder. "Because of him right?" Mokuba giggled, putting his hand in front of his mouth politely.

Seto just smiled before there was a long, drawn out scream from Neith. "THE HORSES ARE GONE!!" She cried hopelessly.

"Yes," Atem explained to the panicking woman, "meaning we'll just have to walk the rest of the way... of course after a good night of sleep." He looked at down to Shimon Muran. "I believe we should get our tents set back up," then to Seto, "Please prepare the protection barrier then head to bed."

"Yes Pharaoh Atem." Seto nodded and put Jou down; checking his ka to make sure it was still there. "Mokuba try to survive without the tent until I get back." He walked off and started using the millennium rod to put incarnations back into the sand, around their campsite. The priest closed his eyes and started chanting a spell, asking Amun for protection.

Sand slowly lifted from the ground, vibrating in a circle in which Seto created. It started spinning around him before he felt the presence of the barrier around him. The priest stumbled a little, not used to making barriers as much as all the other enchantments he had to do and his ka was not used to the pull.

"That was so cool, big brother!" Mokuba cheered, everyone else already back in their tents, Malik now in Isis's and Mahado sharing his tent with his student, Mana so Honda could have a place to sleep.

"I know." The priest smirked at his brother before starting on the tent, starting with tying the poles together with the ropes and putting the sheet back over it. "Now let's go to sleep." He dragged Jou into the tent with him, Mokuba sitting on the slave's stomach, lifting his hand happily because of the ride.

A little hole in the tent caused by the sandstorm gleamed with enough sunlight to wake Jou up. "Sunnuvabitch..." He muttered rubbing his head, not feeling this bad since he had awoken in a slave shipping boat not even a few weeks ago. He looked around to see Seto lying on his stomach and winced for him, seeing the large bruises on his back. "Seto..." He muttered, crawling over to the priest then sliding his hands lightly across his back.

It was so odd, being saved, and by an asshole such as Seto no doubt. Jou was starting to believe that the gods and goddesses were having a ball up there on the clouds. Just getting a sitting on the clouds or something, laughing at the sick joke they created. Venus(1) was sure a lot crueller than most believe... Jou knew she had to be... because... something was wrong with him...

Seto snapped his eyes opened and looked straight at Jou, making the slave jump back with a yelp. "I _hate_ when people stare at me while I'm sleeping." He told Jou, sounding as though he didn't just wake up, but had been up for hours. "Could I ask you not do that anymore?"

"How the hell did you know if you were asleep?!" Jou squeaked, grabbing his chest as though he was having a heart attack. "You scare people doing that!"

Seto smirked and crawled over to Jou and pet his cheek. "Your idiocy is easy to detect."

Jou looked at the priest with an unconvinced glare. "If that's supposed to be a compliment, you need help."

Seto hushed his slave by putting a finger over his lips and smiling. "I was worried before I checked your ka..." He glanced over to his little sleeping brother. "But you were fine, so I dragged you around while Mokuba rode on your body."

Looking at Seto with an unimpressed glare Jou let out a huff. "Glad I could amuse the Priest and his brother!" He yelled before balling his fist and bopping his master on the head. "I almost died and you use me as a sand ferry!"

Seto smiled, actually enjoying the futile hit. "For a warrior you sure as hell hit like an old, sickly woman."

He crossed his arms and huffed. "If I wanted to hurt you I would, fool." He grinned and pounced on Seto, quickly wrestling the priest on the ground, pinning his arms and straddling his waist. "See? I'm a Roman GOD."

Seto still smiled sincerely at his slave and just lay back, not fighting Jou. "Please don't wake Mokuba up."

Jou growled and pushed down harder on Seto's wrists. "Do you have a fuckin' split personality or somethin'?" He hissed silently, doing as Seto asked of him. "You act like a jerk unless I'm in pain, then you act like a selfish jerk only if it for yer own gain. Then when we're alone you be weird and do things like kiss my forehead and just be completely nice to me."

Seto gazed up at the slave. "Maybe... but in reality it's you who makes me this way." He could feel Jou loosening his grip and Seto sat up, making his slave stumble back. "Or maybe I save this personality just for you. After all, I doubt you'd like my bastardised side. It's saved for those I don't enjoy, but tolerate." His coy smile never faded. "Would you like to be one of those I tolerate?"

"Then... if that's the case... why do you have so many bad rumours about you?" He asked slowly, not sure how to get the words out. "You're just... not that cruel person I heard about... you're so different... there's no way--"

"I told you, they're all true." The smile finally faded into a frown as he said this, a sensitive subject if Seto had ever known of one.

Jou paused and blinked before he had the courage to speak up again. "...You killed your lover?"

"Yes." He muttered, his eyes turning soft and distant. "I killed her..."

* * *

(1)Venus is the goddess of Love in Roman Mythology

* * *

Kiharu-sama wins the prize for guessing the 'mystery character' ahead of time! Though I have no clue what the prize will be... What do you want Kiharu-sama? LoL I didn't think anyone would realise Neith actually is Mai. Not that it's important to the plot... unless you like what I end up doing to her . but yeah. Congrats Kiharu-sama!! 

Oh one more thing before I forget. I read Glue Project's short story called UNROCKET. Very cool, very original story. Pretty much Japanese Seto and Jounouchi meet American subbed Kaiba and Joey and they're all in a room that's 'rocket'. Sorry if you didn't want me to put this up, Glue, but I was so taken by how cute and refreshing it was.


	4. A Warrior's Tale

Jou never got any further as Mokuba had been awake long enough to hear a bit of conversation. He threw off his sheets, startling his brother from further response. He refusing to believe Seto would do that to his best friend, Kisara, the girl Seto planned to take as his wife even though she was only a slave.

"_STOP SAYING THAT SETO!! YOU DIDN'T!! YOU WOULDN'T!!"_ He ended up kicking Jou out of the bed and comforting his big brother, though it didn't look like he needed it. Jou suspected maybe it was Mokuba who was the one needing the assurance that everything was alright.

- - -

The words rang in the ex-warrior's head as they entered Heliopolis. He didn't notice the hoots and hollers, praises and cheers to the almighty pharaoh and the six highest priests throughout the land.

Atem smiled to the crowd, loving the attention of real people. It was then, a pair of amethyst eyes looking up to him and he suddenly felt utterly shocked. The feeling was so strong that he had to look away only as a reaction. When looking back, the person with such electric eyes had vanished.

"Something wrong, my pharaoh?" Seto asked with a dull voice. Not that he cared, but he wanted no reason to immediately head back after a gruelling three-day journey.

"Yes, don't worry." Atem said, not looking back. An illusion. That's all it could possibly be. Why would one set of eyes be so exceptional over the other thousands that where in the same crowd. Maybe it was even a jewel. Amethysts were not that rare in Africa and those were obviously amethysts...

Of course, the streets were packed with people, ecstatic at having not only the highest of all priests staying in their city for a week, but also their god on earth, Pharaoh Atem.

The royal entourage made it to the temple in Heliopolis with minimal interference from the locals and were quickly greeted by the high priest, all hailing the Pharaoh and his closest followers. "Please!" Seto hollered, disrupting the hails, chants and praises. "We've had a long day, night will fall shortly, and I'd like to get a good amount of rest before going over the festival for fucking Ra's sake!" Jou looked at the weary priest silently, knowing he was trying his hardest not to be a complete ass.

The old high priest of Ra's temple looked up at his superior with astonishment. Never did a priest behave in such a manner and to see the highest of all priests act like an angry child was shocking to say the least. "Well said Seto..." The pharaoh smiled wearily, knowing it was rash, but to the point, which the entire group needed a bit of. "Please, we'd like some sleep before all commotion..."

"Yes..." old man nodded rapidly before clapping his hands twice and suddenly a few slaves appeared, walking in front of the person they were designated to serve and all bowed, no where near in unison.

Honda ran over to Isis before she was out of sight and smiled nervously. "Pharaoh Atem has ordered me to take one of your slaves into custody." He muttered, not sure, how Isis would react. But she just shrugged it off and Nieth laughed as they walked away. Honda grabbed Otogi's arm, pulling him with the Pharaoh.

Honda's room was right next to the Pharaoh's, separated by a thick marble wall between them. He led his captive slave to the bed and smiled despite his apparent nervousness. "Sorry for all this... I just have a few questions to ask and I'll let you go." Otogi just put one leg over the other and crossed his arms, looking at the guard with an irate expression. Honda felt himself start to shake. He had never felt so strange before, he never had an infatuation before. "Otogi... that's your family name is it not? May I ask what your given name is?"

"How do you know that?" The slave huffed, looking away.

"You're Eastern. It's very obvious when your mother is as well." He smiled and knelt down, knowing it to be a great interrogation technique, allowing the one under investigation to feel superior and not as frightened. "I'm Honda Hiroto, my mother was Chinese and my father was Egyptian. So... I know what Asian people look like... like her."

Otogi smiled, seeing no threat if they were from the same country. "Well, my name is Otogi Ryuji." He explained, putting a hand on his own chest for introduction. "And I am a full blood Japanese originally from Tokyo, but went to China when I was a boy."

Honda made his way onto the bed, never taking his eyes off Otogi. "Ryuji... very beautiful, it..." he scratched the back of his head, a small blush running across his face. "It suits you well."

Otogi perked a corner of his mouth up, figuring out what was going on. "I get it..." He purred and leaned towards Honda, making the guard yelp and jolt to the other end of the room in fear. "The hell?! What did you do that for?!"

Honda pointed an accusing finger at Otogi and kept cowering against the wall. "Hey, I have every right to, man! You were like... trying to kiss me or something!"

Otogi stood up in defence. "That's what you were going for right?!" He yelled, throwing a finger back at the guard. "You called me beautiful for the sake of Kami! Are you attracted to men or just a little stupid!?"

Honda sighed and moved closer to the slave. "I'm sorry... this is just... new to me... I usually keep to my duties and all..." He looked down, completely ashamed of his cowardice. "You're just the first Asian person since my family left China and its... well..." He decided the rest was a bit too personal to just bring out to some pretty face.

Otogi sat back down in a very elegant fashion. "Well, if that's it, I'm sorry to say I don't fold that easily." He snapped his head away so Honda couldn't see the smile on his face.

Honda walked over to the bed, poking his fingers together bashfully. "Well... actually... I just wanna know... well... what you were before you became a slave... and how you became a slave... I've never seen an Asian in Egypt before... well besides me."

"Is that really any of your business?" He scoffed, folding his arms once more.

"It's not." Honda said quickly. "But it's just weird that such a well-mannered person with such good posture would be a slave... more like a prince."

Otogi unknowingly lowered his head sadly. "You don't have to be a prince to have such manners whipped into you." Honda didn't say anything, choosing to allow Otogi to elaborate. The slave sighed and wiped his eyes. "You really want to know?"

"Of course!"

Otogi rubbed at his eyes again as though they were being irritated by something. "I guess I do owe for when you looked out for me and the others... I doubt Jou would be alive right now if it wasn't for that food you gave him." He looked down and his silky black hair covered his eyes. "I was a concubine..." He snapped his eyes to Honda's. "A fuck doll, happy now?"

Honda blinked, not sure what he was supposed to do with this new information. "No, I'm... sorry."

Otogi just shrugged, stomping his emotions down inside. "So, I guess that's where my good posture came from. The emperor could not stand any of us slouching. We had to stay beautiful."

Honda put the tips of his fingers on Otogi's almost perfectly white skin. "You're very beautiful, there's no changing that."

Otogi must have not felt the true depths of Honda's words; instead he took them completely wrong. "I'm told that often, but what is a human that's only known for looks? That would be a doll, Hiroto."

The guard smiled and chuckled a bit. "If I was just into your looks do ya think I'd ask all these questions? Personally, I'm totally afraid of you any other way, which says a lot about my romantic experience."

Otogi laughed at that comment. A gay virgin with a boy phobia trying to fall for a fuck puppet... that was definitely a new one for Otogi. "What is it you want from me then?"

Honda shrugged, kicking his legs as they dangled off the bed. "Never really thought what I wanted... I mean... is there supposed to be something?" The once tough first-in-command guard now looked like a child, which he pretty much was. Only in his teens, but it wasn't like Otogi could say anything, he was sixteen if he could remember right. "What is it then?" He laid back on the bed, looking to the ceiling. "Do I have to have a reason?"

"No." The slave leaned over Honda, trapping him this time before kissing the guard softly. "You're just a dunderhead... its kinda cute." Honda's face turned red, but he stayed still, not feeling as scared as before. "Or dumbass is more like it... but still... you're cute for an idiot."

The Pharaoh smiled when he saw Otogi curl up next to Honda before walking to his room. Tomorrow he would have to inform Isis that he was giving that slave to Honda... and make up some valiant reason for giving him up. Maybe say it was too dangerous to have him or something. Honda was not only a loyal guard, but probably, one of the few people he considered a friend.

He sighed, secretly wishing he could have something like that, but as Seto often told him. _"We're merely here for tricks, treats and breeding so our bloodline stays strong."_ And as much as Atem tried to go against the truth, but like Seto said... it was true. He was there for breeding as Seto was. When Neith seemed interested in Seto, he was sure he'd be happy with such a beautiful, strong-minded woman. Unfortunately, it seemed Seto was into women that were shy and unnoticeable... like that Kisara was.

He walked on until he found Seto's room and popped his head into the doorway to see the blonde slave called Katsuya running around like a cornered chicken, trying to avoid the priest's wrath with the Millennium Rod. It was such a peculiar scene to say the least. _His _priest, the dark and withdrawn Seto was romping about like a…child. He stood mesmerised for a moment, taking in the details; he hadn't seen this in such a long time.

"Receive your punishment like a man!" Seto hollered, waving the sennen rod around like a bat as Mokuba sat on the bed laughing loudly and a small, bald servant boy that lived in the temple stood in one corner, scared out of his wits.

Atem stepped in and put his hand on the little servant boy's shoulder. "If you're done here, I think its best that you leave."

The boy looked up with wide eyes and nodded, running out of the room. Atem looked back over to see Seto had straddled the slave, cast the rod aside and was currently trying to strangle him. Luckily, the blonde was holding Seto's hands back well. "How dare you say that in front of my brother!" Seto growled, trying to push his hands forward.

Atem looked over to Mokuba and sat next to him. "What did the slave tell Seto?"

"He told me that the reason Seto's such a meany is because he has a stick up his butt!" He fell down and held his ribs, laughing more. "Of course he didn't say it as nice as I did!"

Atem chuckled, watching Seto and his slave wrestle back and forth, rolling around angrily.

"You fucker! I was only tellin' 'em the truth!" Jou laughed pinning Seto's wrists down. He smirked at the prone priest. "My pops and I used to wrestle all the time, yer not goin' to beat me at it." He pinned down the base of the priest's arms with his knees and sat on his flat, rock hard stomach. He tried not to look like it, but he was definitely noticing all of his master's features, so perfectly chiselled that the gods must have made him their pride of creation.

Seto smirked as Jou began to lax, taking complete advantage of the situation as only he could, he lifted his legs, wrapping them around the slave's chest and flipped him so he was now on top. "I guess the Roman gods aren't as great as everyone says." He grinned evilly into the slave's traumatised eyes.

Atem clapped and laughed, bringing the two quarrelling boys back to reality and Seto jumped up. "Phuh-pharaoh..." He was stunned; he didn't even hear the man come in.

"Oh, please continue, that was probably the most fun I've ever seen Seto have." Atem cooed, leaning back with a smirk on his face. "You're so lucky Seto, after so many years to have that playmate of yours back." Jou stood up, unsure of his conduct in such a situation. Last time he was kicked to the ground so it wasn't like he was just told how to act in front of the highest authority in all Egypt. "Of course, that's what I hear. Seto used to talk about you all the time with me. He was a bit obsessed with you until a few a few years ago."

"Will you shut up, Yami!" Seto screeched, his face heating out of rage and embarrassment.

Atem stood up and chuckled. "And it's about as long since you've called me that." He smiled and walked up to Jou. "To me you will be known as Onuris." He patted the slave on the back and walked away, but not before offering an orange to Mokuba.

Jou blinked and looked to Seto, who was still red as hell and flames in his eyes to match. "What does Onuris mean?"

Mokuba giggled and petted the orange, the pharaoh was always spoiling him a bit. "It means 'brings back the distant one' in Egyptian. The pharaoh probably means that because this is the most life we've seen in Seto since he became a priest."

Seto growled and took a sandal off, throwing it at Mokuba's head. _Maybe there was still time to drop him back at the orph__anage and pick another student. _"I'll feed you to the crocodiles, Mokie!!"

"No, you wouldn't big brother." He giggled and got up, jumping on his surrogate brother. "I love you and you love me!" He nuzzled onto his brother and kissed his cheek. "Now I wanna go to bed, so you're going to tell me a bed time story, okay?"

Seto grunted and blushed more, hating when his chosen brother decided overly lovey. He was not used to it and he hated things that were not the norm. "I have no stories worth telling." He smiled and looked at Jou. "But hearing a story from a real Roman warrior must be a rare treat, how about that, Mokuba?"

The boy gasped, never thinking of the possible adventures the blonde idiot could have had. "Yes! Please! I wanna know what it's like to be a warrior!"

Jou sighed, knowing he was trapped and he looked to Seto, seeing pure curiosity in his eyes. "Well... I guess..." He scratched the back of his head, not really wanting to get into his not so distant past. Seto smiled and wrapped his arms around Mokuba, bringing them to the bed and waved for Jou to follow. The slave did and Seto put an arm around him as Mokuba put the thin cotton sheets around them all. "Where do I begin?"

"At the beginning." Mokuba giggled, cuddling in between Seto and Jou. "Like what made you a warrior."

Jou laid back into Seto's arm and thought about it for a second. "Well... I always wanted to be a warrior... my dad was a warrior and his father and... well... you get it... I worked to be one everyday, two hours before nightfall with my dad. We'd practice until one of us would get tired... and of course, at the beginning it was me, but not long after I refused to give up and we would battle until morning. Sword play all night, working to make each other better and better when I was finally up to par with him." Seto smiled and closed his eyes, trying to imagine. "Then, in my first match, I was expected to do well even though I was a beginner and I was matched up with someone way better than me.

"He almost killed me and then... I just felt... in peace... I could see all his moves almost as if before they were going to happen and I realised that this is why my dad was so good and it was that he was trying to teach me. Learned technique or just pure power, it was still weird. I just took him out with a punch... proceeding the Jounouchi name.... of course... after so many easy wins the public became tired with me... my father put on a show whereas I just finished them off quickly. So Caesar decided to up the stakes... he put me against my father... meaning one of us would die." He looked to Mokuba who was completely taken by the story.

"And what happened?!" He cried, NEEDING to know if Jou really did kill his own father.

Jou scratched his head and grinned. "Well, I think yer ganna want more stories later... so I'll end here." He grinned and Mokuba started punching at the slave, pouting because it was probably the worst place to end it. So much left unsaid. "Sorry kid, but if you want more, you go to sleep and I'll give you the rest tomorrow night."

"Oh... okay..." Mokuba said before jumping off the bed and going to his, which was across the hall. "But if I don't hear more tomorrow I'll just have to put a really bad spell on you!" He yelled before disappearing in the darkness of his room.

After the kid retreated, Jou began to slither off the bed, only to be pulled back by his companion. Seto hummed and caressed his fingertips across Jou's chest, leaning over the slave slightly. "This does explain why you're so muscular." He purred while Jou froze under Seto, breathing hard at the priest's closeness. "I guess I just really never thought about it... you _are_ a warrior and all." His eyes shown an emotion Jou never saw before. His eyes were misty and dark. "Yami was right you know... Onuris suits you well... I feel like some parts of me I haven't felt in a while have come back..."

"Seto.."

The priest chuckled. "You know... I think that's the first time you've actually said my name. Ever." He leaned in little more, those smoky blue eyes only seeing Jou's scarlet red ones. "Onuris... is that what you would like to be called from now on? I do prefer Katsuya much more."

"Then Katsuya it stays." Jou decided firmly. To be honest, he didn't exactly feel so comfortable with Onuris, stately as the name sounded. A brush of silk flickered across his face and he looked up to see the priest about to turn away into a more chiropractic sleeping posture. He noticed again, the way the muscles worked under Seto's bronzed skin, how his elastic skin stretched so smoothly on command and how his eyes swivelled this way and that as he fumbled for the sheets. And suddenly, despite all previous arguments, battles and derisive feelings on his part, the electricity could no longer be denied. In the presence of the demigod, status was immediately pushed aside for want. Giving up control of his body to his desires, Jou rose in one fluid movement, catching the other's lips in what could only be described as a kiss.

Seto blinked and then smirked, hiding all traces of surprise. "I never expected that from you." He lowered his mouth to Jou's neck and kissed him lightly, making the slave shiver. "There's a problem." Seto whispered into his ear, almost seductively. "You're a slave... sorry, but I'm not walking down that path again."

Many words formed on Jou's mouth, but he couldn't get any of them out until his voice finally came back. "No problem, I just figured since you kissed me that one day, I'd... kiss you back or something..." He sat up and crawled out of bed. "If you don't mind... I'd like to go out and see the town... is that okay... master?"

Seto yawned and turned around, cuddling with the covers. "Yeah, sure, I have some gold in my pouch." He muttered, ready to go to bed. "Just remember, if you're not back by morning I'll hunt you down and probably cut off a foot to make sure it doesn't happen again."

"Okay..." He walked over to where Seto threw his pouch and took out only a few coins.

"One more thing... don't get caught. People really frown on slaves leaving their masters." Seto said, waving his hand, trying to get him to go away as soon as possible, needing sleep.

Jou left with a sigh, running out of the building as soon as he possibly could, feeling his heart ripping in half. "How the hell could you do this to me Aphrodite? Why would you!?" He asked the goddess of love. He knew she was sick, but to play such a sadistic joke on him... her strong follower. Why would she do this to him?! Why would she let him fall in love with someone who would lead him on and then just say _Sorry, but you're a slave_.

Not that he took it too much to heart though, after all, he had only kissed Seto because he was taken with the man's body. At random, he remembered a story Mokuba had told him on the way to this place. It was the tale of some chick, to whom the gods had given incomparable beauty, elegance and intelligence. Yet they could not give her a heart…

Scanning the dusky streets, he saw a good amount of people heading towards or already in a building and he figured that would be a pub. Luckily it was and he was about to use the last survival skill. _Drink until you forget._

Little did he know, such pure gold scored so much wine and ale, in fact too much for him to so... "DRINKS 'ER ON ME EVERYONE!"

There was loud cheering throughout the pub/hotel and there was dance and song to the man who selflessly supplied an endless flow of alcohol.

_Yes…drink…

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_

Please, please, please review. The reviews have been really lacking number wise and I feel as though people are giving up on my story before it even starts getting cool! PLEASE!!


	5. She Gets What She Wants

Jou smiled as three beautiful, drunken, Egyptian women talked to him with voices so seductive, a siren would wish to produce such a sound, and it was practically written on their faces that they wanted to spend the night with him. He wouldn't even need to go to the temple until morning and that would sure as hell waste his time. "Sorry ladies..." He tried not to slur in his completely drunken state. "But if you're looking for a good time, I doubt I'd be it."

"Oh... why is that?" One whined. Obviously, she was hoping to make it with a rich foreigner.

The blonde sighed and took a long drink out of a wooden cup. "I belong to another." He said silently, but there was no way he could say it loudly without crying. He toasted his glass by just raising it up, not mixing it with others for that was not the Egyptian way.

One looked at him sadly and took his hand. "If you love her, then you can't give up on her..." She said with tears in her eyes. "I see so much pain in your eyes... if she cares anything for you she'll see the pain I do." Jou looked up into the girl's eyes and saw something that should not have been seen by mortals. The sight of a god, or better yet, goddess. It was as if her eyes could shape and change emotion. Put it into a form or make it non-existent.

"Venus?" He asked, not even sure what he was saying.

She giggled and shook her head. "My name is Femi." She smiled in a way Jou had never seen before, but then she became serious. "I know what you're willing to do for him, Katsuya, even if it involved a sin or two." Jou felt his body go limp. "He'll come around... if you're willing to take the pain." She patted him on the head and made her way out of the pub.

Jou came back to the temple, nowhere as gracefully as he left, but was still able to get past anyone who could bust him and he walked into Seto's room to see him still sleeping. He crept up to him and sighed. "Those who act like devils should sleep like devils and yet here you are, with the most beautiful look on your face." He laid down next to Seto and smiled. "I guess that's not how the world works, huh?" He closed his eyes, knowing he could sleep within minutes. "I met a goddess today... she told me I was in love... I believe her." He dosed off, feeling bliss.

Seto opened his eyes and looked up to the ceiling. "You're just an idiot... Don't you realised I'm cursed?"

-----

Morning came eventually and as hard as Seto tried, Jou seemed to be down for the count. "Dumb drunken mutt!" Seto growled before stepping on Jou's head, giving up on patience. "If you don't get up I'll take off a needed appendage!"

"Yer talkin' about my dick right?" The blonde yawned and pushed Seto's foot off of him, making the priest fall over. "If so, I'll return the favour..." He wrapped his arms around a down stuffed sack and yawned again, falling back into slumber.

Seto growled and grabbed his millennium rod. "I said get up!" And... **BAM!** Jou was up, with a hang over and a headache... and now a big lump on his head that easily matched the print to Seto's rod. The priest smirked and put his slave over his shoulder. "This is what will happen when you don't listen to me." He chuckled looking though the linen these priests had for them to wear. Seto tisked at the choosing. "No silk. I figured since they were closer to Asia they'd have a better variety." He didn't expect an answer from Jou, being he was still trying to fight the hangover.

He found an outfit and smiled. Laying Jou on the bed, he began to nonchalantly untie the sash on his kilt. "Wha-what er you doin'?" Jou yelped, trying to wriggle away from the priest. "Let go... let me go!"

"Oh shut up, idiot, you reek of beer," the priest grunted, trying to avoid his slave's kicking feet. "Stop it or someone will figure out I let you go out." He sneered when Jou refused to stop and jumped on him, pinning the blonde down. "I'm not going to hurt you goddammit!" Jou blinked and lulled, letting his body relax under the priest's grasp. Seto let out a sigh; crawling off him and continuing dressing him back up quickly, not taking the time to look the slave over. "See? Virtually painless."

Jou grinned as he sat up. "Yeah, I guess so." He paused for a second before thinking of the girl from last night. "Hey... what does Femi mean?"

"Femi is Egyptian for love, why do you ask?" Seto sat on the bed and began putting his sandals on.

Jou looked up and hummed with a grin. "I told you last night. I met a goddess and that was her name... well the name she told me, but... I dunno... she knew my name and..." He paused, figuring it wasn't best to say the rest, "Well she knew a lot."

"She was probably just some kind of priestess." Seto said with a shrug, bringing logic into Jou's theory. "Or a mind reader, those are quite common in Egypt. Soothsayer maybe, but that'd involve animals, so I doubt that." He stood up and made sure his sandals were properly put on. "Maybe I'll do that for you, soothsaying I mean."

"Hey, we have those in Rome!"

Seto laughed and patted Jou on the head. "Good boy." He chuckled with a smile. "And next time I have to read into the pharaoh's future, I'll do yours too."

Jou looked into Seto's eyes. "And you really mean what you said yesterday?" He asked weakly, "so... if that's true... if I'm just a slave, then why are you so nice to me? You don't treat me like a slave. You let me get away with stuff and do things for me... and the only person you act nice to is me and Mokuba an' I ain't no brother to you." Seto rolled his eyes and started walking to away, but Jou blocked the doorway. "If you have no real interest in me, that's fine, but I'm getting really getting confused by so many mixed signals."

"You're so cocky for a worthless slave." Seto said, putting his hand on the back of Jou's neck and kissing him on the forehead. "Now, I have more important things to do than sit here listening to your over dramatic yammering." He patted Jou on the cheek and stepped around him.

"Goddammit! You're doing it _again_!" He whined before Seto disappeared behind a curtain. Jou let out a sigh and walked back to the bed, and lay back down. The sun slipped from peak hour noon to evening without Jou noticing. He simply lay there, slowly slipping into insanity, unable to control what thoughts ran around in his own head.

"Poor thing." A soothing alto voice mused and Jou turned his head to see Neith leaning against the doorframe, her figure curving nicely with the smooth, red velvet curtain. "Seto doesn't consider other people very often, so I know how you feel." She strolled over to the bed and sat next to Jou smirking down at him. "I guess you and I are not that much different."

Jou laughed and laid back. He had forgotten about Neith... that Seto and she were married. Then of course, Seto wouldn't be interested in him... but then again... he didn't really love her. It was arranged and Seto didn't even have a choice. "Do you love my master?" He asked, knowing it was the only way he could justify his end of the feelings.

Neith licked her lips, finding this all too easy. "Our marriage is an act." She leaned down to Jou and smiled seductively. "He has his women and I have my men, it's how it has always been..." She snapped her eyes up and down the handsome boy. "He'll treat you like dirt when he gets bored of you... of course, if you promise yourself to me, I'll never let such a gorgeous man like you go…." She said seductively, then closed her eyes and leaned in, puckering her lips ever so slightly. Sweeping down gracefully, she at once caught his lips; beautiful lips, so soft, smooth…and leathery?

The Egyptian woman snapped her eyes open to see she was making out with a pillow instead of the golden man. She looked on the other end of the bed to see Jou had rolled over, his face smashed into the down bolster. "Ehm nod enesesed." He muttered into the cushion before lifting his head. He looked at the woman while managing to keep a safe distance from the hormonal creature. "You're a really pretty woman, but I don't know a thing about you, lady."

She laughed, putting her knuckles against her lower lip and lifting her pinkie. "I don't know about Rome, but here in Egypt you don't have to be childhood friends to be someone's lover, honey." Neith crawled onto the bed only to have Jou jump off completely. Her expression darkened as she looked at the blonde, a sort of bloodlust in her eyes. "This isn't a choice, Katsuya. I see the way Seto looks at you and I won't have it." Her tone became rougher, almost matching Seto's.

"That ain't my problem, lady." Jou similarly adopted a warning tone, but he failed, trying to scare the woman away.

Neith let out a high-pitched hum and lay down on the bed, making sure her chest perked out a little more than usual. "Actually it is your problem." She murmured with obvious abhorrence in her voice. "You were out last night, not only that, you stole money from the high priest, and spent that money at a local pub." She looked at Jou slyly. "I tell Atem and you loose your head, whether he has a soft spot for you or not. Theft against the high priest is a high crime." She licked her lips and gave a taunting giggle. "You could get away with murder of royal soothsayer before you could get away with thievery against the high priest."

"But he le--" Jou began. He clutched the covers tightly. _Oh, Jupiter, this cannot be real._

"Do you think that jackass would actually admit he gave a worthless slave his own money so he could party?" Neith interrupted, divining his words. "He can like you all he wants, but the love of his ego is much stronger than anything else." She smiled carelessly, confident in her own strategy. She knew more about the priest than this wannabe and was prepared to use her knowledge to the greatest level.

Her words had the desired effect as Jou backed up with wide-eyes. "But... If I get caught with you... and you want Seto to catch us... then wouldn't he just have me killed? I mean, sleeping with the high priest's wife has to be up there with thievery." He stammered. Apparently, he had only understood his dire situation.

"Honey, _once_ Seto finds out I'll send you back to Rome... and isn't that what you want?" She purred and to Jounouchi her words more seduction than any ambrosia. "You have family I'm sure... think... to have them back."

And she was right. Shizuka... the only family he had left... but... could he do that to Seto? Is this what Femi was talking about when she said he'd sin for Seto? But... it wouldn't be for Seto if he did so it would be for him and against Seto. "I ca--"

"Listen, I'll give you some time to think about it. In fact, I'll give you until the end of this little adventure, when we get back to Memphis, that way you have sometime to decide what's really more important to you. Rome, or a man who has made you his slave and shows his affection through apathy and abuse." She got up and stretched lazily. "You'll make the right choice." She left, swaying her hips casually, not aware as Jou's attention slipped more and more into oblivion.

A chance to get back to his sister? How perfect! All he had to do was sleep with some hot chick. It seemed like a win/win situation for the most part. Shizuka was probably with his good friend Anzu or vice versa and he knew the older girl known as Anzu took good care of his sister. She was a doctor in the palace and Shizuka couldn't be under better care. Still, nothing could be better for Shizuka to get her brother back.

... Then... why did he feel like he didn't want to leave yet...? Why didn't he want to score with that woman? What was holding him back?

-----

"Bitch!" Seto hollered, smacking his hand into the curtain, the velvet having a hard time bending due to the thickness of the fabric. He stomped in to the room, his glare was set to Jou and nothing could change that. "I saw Neith leave! What did she want?!"

Jou's eyes widened as he scooted to the end of the bed, bent on getting further away from Seto. "Nuh-nothing..." He stuttered before falling off the edge off the bed, letting out a loud 'oof!' "She just... told me how much she hates me for some reason... I think."

Seto glared down at Jou, crossing his arms. His figure was tall and imposing as he took the lie and crumpled it in his powerful hand. "Don't bullshit me, Katsuya, she doesn't come to make idle threats, she comes in to make results. If she wanted you dead, either you or Neith would be dead right now."

Jou thought about his options. If he told Seto the truth, Neith would kill him... if Seto didn't get to it first. Or he could make up some cock and bull and see where that got him. What would work better? "She was looking for you... something about wanting to go to the market….for new festival clothes and jewelry…"

Amazingly, it worked. "Figures, that woman needs sex and money and only comes to me for the money." Seto scoffed and crawled onto the bed. "Katsuya." He said calmly, looking to the slave who was still on the floor. "Did you know I told that woman I'd be completely loyal to her?" Jou blinked before scrambling onto the bed and Seto chuckled, shaking his head. "Like you want to hear my bitching."

"No... please... go ahead." He crawled up to Seto, cuddling up to him like a lovesick puppy. "I wanna hear it."

Seto smiled after concealing a small jerk of surprise. He was not used to people wanting to take the time to hear his problems. "This is something you probably didn't know about me, but I'm actually a nympho." He chuckled and Jou smiled, seeing the happy Seto he just loved to be around. His expression did change, he did look happy, but there was a glint of sadness still left in his eyes. "Well... on our wedding day I vowed to be loyal to her... and she promised me the same... the only difference is after three years of marriage, she's been all over the place and I actually haven't! Even with Kisara!"

Jou blinked before counting his fingers. "Wait... she had to be like... ten when you two got married!"

Seto laughed in a way that it sounded more like a forced cough. "I was fifteen, she was twenty-three." He rolled over to look at the slave. "I wouldn't have a problem with being promiscuous, but I have the dirty problems with taking back my vows."

Jou nodded, feeling like he now knew the answer to why he couldn't sleep with Neith, because he couldn't... Because of Seto he just couldn't. "I know this is kinda off subject... but what is Neith... besides your wife?"

"You mean palace wise?" He asked and Jou nodded seriously. "An illusionist... magician."

"Is that more important than a soothsayer?" He asked, knowing what he had to do. Not just for him, but for Seto. So he wouldn't be sad and Jou could see him smile more often.

"Hell no." Seto said with shock. "A magician is for the children and people that are completely bored. A soothsayer does things to help warn and protect people. Nieth is so successful simply because of her looks; men come from far and wide to see her, lecherous men."

Jou nodded and got up. "If it's alright, I'm going to go pray..."

Seto arched an eyebrow and shrugged. "Sure, go pray to your fake gods." He scooted out of bed and began taking off his clothes, it being a hotter night than usual.

Jou smiled and turned around, looking out a large window to see a large ledge, so he hopped onto the windowsill and walked out onto the large ledge to watch the sunset. Seto realised his slave hopped the window and went over to make sure the idiot wouldn't do anything too stupid... or at least nothing that was so stupid it wouldn't stay entertaining long. "You know, my sis and I used to watch the sun 'cause she just loved the colour of it." Jou told Seto, knowing he was at the window. "I was training all the time and Anzu was always working on clothing to sell... it was our time to just sit down and be there for one another. We knew to make it to the rooftop of our little house. I bet they're doing it without me right now." He leaned back tilted his head back far enough so he could see Seto. "Do you love Neith... at all?"

Seto snorted a bit and started to laugh. "You're kidding right? And to think I thought you were listening to me."

"So if she were to go away, you'd be happy?"

"Well, yes, but I've tried to get rid of her, but she refuses to leave Egypt for some reason." He let out a sigh. "There's no getting rid of that woman."

"Yeah..."

Did you know I had to ask my editor if "Jou rape Seto" could be used that way!? Kiharu-sama, my story never told about Jou's father being a drunkard... you want some of that read Stupid Little Games of Love. Now that has alcohol and abuse! And lots of lovin' at the end!

Also, Nite Nite. You always give me something funny to read! XD I'm thinking the exact thing I have been! I WANT SETO TO JUST GIVE JOU LOTS OF NOOKIE!! But alas if I did that it would end too fast. LoL, thanks for punishing him until then. Oh and I loved when Seto said "screams IT WASN"T ME! PANDA MADE ME DO IT!" . Lies...

And one last thing, Dramastarelf, I said no Egyptian God PURE good or evil. Set is evil, but in the earlier days he served as an escort to Ra when travelling the night to bring the sun back into the sky. And also, destruction is not a bad thing, for it beings a new beginning, such as a forest fire. Thanks for the comment, I love a battle of wits!

Review everyone!!


	6. Out in the Night

Malik tossed about as he and his slave tried to sleep, but found no success... well he at least, Ryou was out like a flame in the wind. He huffed and tugged on Ryou's head. "Wake up my albino desert flower." He cooed, tugging on his hair harder.

"I'm not albino, I'm just really pale." He muttered before sitting up. "So you need something, Master?" Ryou let out a yawn and smiled wearily. "Shall I get your sister?"

"No, I'm fine, I just can't sleep." He murmured, petting Ryou's cheek. "I just can't wait for the festival to start. I bet you've never been to one, have you?"

"Honestly... I don't even know what you're talking about." Ryou admitted with a blush before Malik licked his lips and stared at his slave curiously. "What?" The boy with blonde hair looked up as though there was something on the ceiling and Ryou quickly followed his actions, suddenly feeling something soft against the bottom of his chin. He snapped his head down, but by this time, that soft feeling slid over to the side of his neck. Ryou only moved his eyes to see what was on him and realised it was Malik's lips resting near his ear. "Wah-at are you doing?!" He whimpered, knowing this was definitely not, what a slave was supposed to do. "Stop!"

Malik snickered and pushed Ryou onto the bed, biting at his neck enough to make the slave cry out. "Stop, Master, stop! Don't! Please!" The white-haired boy begged, putting his hands close enough to push Malik off, but was too scared to do so. "Master! Please!"

The priestess's brother growled and looked into Ryou's eyes. "Calm down." He grumbled and started taking off his own garments, discarding as much of his jewellery as he could without letting go of his struggling slave. "I won't harm you." He whispered into Ryou's ear before hugging the slave close, nuzzling into his scrawny chest. "You're body is always the right temperature... cooler when I need you to be, but warm when I feel pissed off."

Ryou blushed, realising what Malik was doing as he talked. He wasn't harming Ryou, but he must had been over heated. "Th-hank you master."

"Call me Malik... and I'll call you Ryou." Two beautiful lavender orbs flicked up to meet amber brown eyes. Ryou let out a chuckle because past Malik's nose was hidden into his chest so all he could see was a flaxen blonde mop of hair and two big light purple eyes. "I like to sleep without my clothes on... get over it or haul ass," the priestess's brother grumbled into Ryou's chest. "And I enjoy skin over linen." He rolled over to Ryou laid on top of him and smiled at the boy. "It's kind of cool... usually slaves are afraid of me... but you're just afraid of everything until you trust them, huh?"

"I suppose..." Ryou said hesitantly, the question running through his mind. "I guess you're just now wondering if I trust you, right?"

"I don't think you do..." He grinned and closed his eyes. "Good night, my desert flower."

- - -

Jounouchi stayed on the ledge of the building for a while, praying to the gods for wisdom. He just stared at the moon, his eyes almost dulled over from the lack of blinking. "I just never catch a break do I, Diana?" He asked the goddess of the moon, wondering if such a beautiful and aloof goddess would actually listen to him. Jou pulled out the charm Seto gave him before he left, wondering if it really did work...

He suddenly heard a woman's voice on the ground and crawled to the edge of the roof, looking down to see Neith, looking straight up at him. "A star in the sky with yellow and red. How dost thou look in the light of the moon?"

Jounouchi blinked and tilted his head, not sure, if he should answer or not. What the hell did she just say? What the hell was a dost? Some kind of crippled bird? He just crawled back to the window and watched Seto sleep.

He didn't even know the guy that long... well... sure, he knew about him since his childhood and sure, they met, but he knew nothing about him. He didn't _really_ know him and yet he was able to find himself gazing at the beautiful sleeping priest longingly. Wondering why he couldn't take his eyes off of him. "You're a jackass." He told the sleeping priest as he made his way back into the room, walking over to Seto stealthily. "And that's pretty cool. You never worry about who's watching you and what you should be doing." He crawled on the bed and looked down at Seto. "I've always wanted a wife like you... but I don't think there's a woman out there that could match your personality so perfectly." He leaned over and kissed Seto lightly on the cheek. "And I don't care if you killed someone... because it's not like my hands are clean..." He grinned and swiped a few stands of dark brown hair out of the priest's face. "If you're happy with her gone... I'll do it."

His eyes began to droop which was odd for how much his heart was racing, thinking of what the future held for him. He didn't want to sleep, before coming over to Seto he couldn't sleep. He crawled on top of him, hugging him deeply as he sang a lullaby his mother used to sing to him before bed. Every night because it was the only thing that made him sleep... then she died trying deliver Shizuka... but then... he learned to sing for his sister and they'd both sleep to it.

While everyone slept, Atem was wide-awake, putting on a pair of leather sandals or chappals as they were called in the Far East. Indeed, the outfit was all the way from India. Shimon Muran was the one who went on the journey and even though it took more than six months to complete the task, he still didn't like the fact that Atem was going to disguise himself. "Please reconsider my lord; this is too dangerous... what if you're hurt? What if someone finds out who you are?!"

Atem just grinned; all too excited to even listen to his father's advisor. The man who once was privileged enough to hold the millennium Anhk and wise enough to know when he no longer had the zeal and energy to dish it out to someone young and full of life.

The pharaoh simply pulled silky pants on himself, tying up the unusually baggy material. The fabric shone softly in the firelight like the sheen of fish scales. "Shimon, I have to do this... before everything I once knew is gone. I want to be a child a little bit longer... before my fate proceeds... I must... find something. I'm being called to it and I'm not even sure what it is."

Shimon sighed and sat on the bed. "Well please try to be home before the sun rises... I will have to explain your disappearance."

"Just tell them I'm about in the city, no one will suspect a thing. If I'm not back before everyone else is up, put a kilt outside the temple, I'll get it and change before I come in." Atem used his cape to wipe the kohl off his eyes and unlatched it pulled a tunic over himself, letting it fall to his knees. The collar swept around his neck, ending in a intricate pattern along his chest. He wrapped the matching scarf around his neck, while admiring the artful stitching. "You would do it, I know you would." He moved about, letting the outfit settle over his shoulders. Next came the small turban, which looked a lot like Seto's ceremonial hat, but smaller, and a wagon load of accessories: Feathered turban pin, strings of pearls and even anklets that chimed softly as he moved. "But if you ask me, their sense of style is very gaudy."

"And this was the most expensive clothes made... you should have seen it there, people take pride in jewellery like we do in the Nile. It is shameful to be out without proper accessories. " The man sighed and stood up. "Please be careful, my lord... I owe your father so much... I'm just not sure what he'd think of this..."

Atem did a small pirouette, his ears catching the small rustle of silk and the click of beads. "How do I look?"

Shimon eyed it critically. "Like an Indian merchant, how else? I still advise you to be careful, my lord, you don't know what might happen."

The pharaoh ignored his counsel and walked outside, liking the sound of the chappals against the marble terrain of the temple. He made his way out of the building, still apprehensive that he was going to be caught. He didn't even know where he was going, sure some roads where familiar, but all in all he was used to main roads of the city, nothing other that that.

He kept his head down when ever he went past a drunkard or a woman that looked like a prostitute. He did not need unnecessary attention, especially while posing as a foreigner. In fact, his head was down so often he didn't even see a boy appear in front of him and only realised him when they crashed and fell backwards with an 'oof'. "S-sorry." He told the boy, standing up and helping him up and there they were... those eyes... Even in the darkness, those eyes shined through. "Who are you?"

The boy was breathing hard and couldn't even talk. His eyes were full of tears and Atem just noticed it wondering what was wrong. "Please... my mum... she passed out and she's getting cold! Something's wrong! Please help me... please!" Atem nodded and the boy with hair much like his pulled him to a small adobe-like house made of hardened mud. The boy practically dragged him in and Atem saw a pale woman with shinny back hair. "Mum... I brought someone to help..." He pushed the pharaoh to his mother and the taller boy fell to his knees, looking at the sickly woman. "Please, you look like one of those Eastern doctors! Can you help her?" He begged, not knowing what to do. "I have no one else!"

Atem swallowed hard, not liking the looks of the woman, because her body was so close to that of a corpse. "I can't... but... I know some people in the nearby temple... t-the pharaoh's advisor would know what to do." He touched the woman only to shiver, not used to the unnatural feel of her clammy skin. "We need to keep her warm." He took off his scarf and wrapped it around the shorter boy's mother before picking her up. "Come on, we need to get her there."

The boy nodded. "M-my name's Yugi... I'm in your debt."

Atem nodded and made sure his grip on her was tight. "I don't exactly know how to get to the temple from here, but you would know right?"

Yugi nodded quickly, "Of course!" He hurried to the door and looked back to see Atem right behind him, so he hurried off, knowing he could trust the man for he had taken the time to listen instead of turning him away like everyone else.

They travelled down many roads with haste, entering the temple of Thoth, the God of Medicine. Atem ran in front of Yugi, now leading him to his room and put the woman on bed. "Stay here, please, I'll go get him." Atem ran off and no sooner did he leave he returned, with a man dressed almost completely head to toe in robes. All you could see where his old, worn out purple eyes. "Please, Shimon, help this boy's mother."

The man nodded and touched the woman's head. "I'm sorry... there's nothing I can do... she's already dead...." He lowered his head. "I'm sorry my pharaoh... I will prepare her body... she will have that of a queen if you deem so."

"Yes..." He looked over to the boy, who was now in a corner crying. He heard what Shimon said... and he couldn't blame him. When Atem's father died it was so unbearable... it was the first time in his life he ever felt the skin of a corpse and the feeling was just wrong. That's why Atem couldn't carry her without the scarf. She was cold, just like he was. "He told me he has no one left, Shimon... what do I do? As a pharaoh, am I not obligated to take care of my subjects? How could I leave him when the pain he feels is still close to my own?" He walked over to the boy, giving him his hand. "I don't think I could."

The boy choked back a sob, but wasn't about to control himself. Atem hugged onto the boy, who in his grief never heard about his benefactor being the pharaoh. "Please... let me stay with you... I have nothing left... I promise to be your loyal servant, just please don't let me go." Tears flooded from his eyes and the pharaoh looked down at him sadly before hugging him back.

"You won't have to worry anymore." The boy nodded at Atem's words and slipped into unconsciousness, falling limp into the taller boy's arms. Shimon looked at the smaller boy curiously.

"He has a strong ka... and he reminds me so much of my son before he left." He told the pharaoh, a little confused on how someone would bear such a resemblance to the only child he ever had. "My son, Kontar was supposed to take over for me when he was done training, but he fell in love with a peasant woman..." He looked to the woman, slowly, taking in her detail. "In fact, her face is older and her skin is now careworn, but I'm sure that's her."

"So... he must be your grandson?" Atem asked, holding the boy known as Yugi close. "Then this is fate... maybe the fate I've been looking for.

"I'm glad you all find this amusing, but I warn thee, Pharaoh, rough times are ahead my lord, I feel it my duty to warn you... but my Tauk will not tell of what." Isis said, gracefully coming into the pharaoh's room, a slight glow around her now crystal blue eyes that were usually amber grey. "You have my warning, pharaoh... for all I know this new visitor might be the cause... and what if his strife turns against you?"

"Never." Atem protested, lifting the unconscious boy known as Yugi up. "This boy came to me for help... I intend to keep my word."

- - -

Jou's eyes snapped open when he heard a noise coming from somewhere in the room. The night was still and the room looked undisturbed for the most part, if you didn't notice a boy sobbing in the corner. "Hey man..." He said to the little guy with spiky hair that reminded him much of the pharaoh's. "...you look sad, but could you try to keep it down? Seto's sleeping."

The boy looked with big purple, teary eyes. "I don't know where I am."

Jou blinked and stood up, making sure he wasn't disturbing the high priest from his slumber. "Well... where are you supposed to be? Are you one of the priests here?" He thought about what he said and realised that was a stupid question because if he were one of the priests he sure as hell would know where he was going and he definitely wouldn't be crying the chambers of the _High Priest_. "Uh... well... where are you supposed to be?"

Yugi sniffed, figuring that was the blonde's way of telling him he would help. "I don't know... but I was with this man, an Indian man... he seemed to be really tan and his hair was just like mine, but his was better and silkier and had more yellow in it than mine.

Jou chuckled and helped the boy to his feet. "You must mean Pharaoh Atem, he isn't any Indian...but, I'll help you find him." He pulled the boy along, heading towards the door before stopping and looking back. "The names Jou, and who'd you be to know the pharaoh?"

"I'm Yugi... and... I don't know the pharaoh..." They headed out and started down some fairly decorated hallways, lined with purple linen sashes and status of random gods everywhere. They didn't even really look at each other, both never having the time to actually look around, even though Jou had been there longer.

"Really? Well, that's the only guy I know who looks like that, sure they just didn't tell you?" Jou asked, letting his hands run against the rarely touched linen.

"I guess... but... why would he..." Yugi looked down to his bare, dirty feet. "He said he'd protect me... but... I'm just a peasant... why would a pharaoh help me?"

The blonde shrugged, wondering if he knew where he was going at all. "Atem's a good guy... he doesn't act like a king in my opinion, but... of course, I don't know how a king of Egypt is supposed to act." He looked around, if one of the many rooms would hold the pharaoh and when thinking about it, he had no clue how he'd get back to Seto's room. "I'm an idiot... I have no clue where I'm going and I'm probably just getting you more lost than before!"

Yugi giggles and shook his head. "I'm as lost as you are, don't worry."

Jou grinned as the Pharaoh appeared from the corner. "Yugi! Did you bring him here, Onuris? Thank you so much!"

Jounouchi blinked before remembering that the Pharaoh decided to nickname him Onuris. "Yes, Pharaoh, he was looking for you... glad he didn't wake up the priest or you might've gotten the poor boy back in pieces."

Atem nodded and grabbed Yugi's arm, looking down at the boy with lighter skin. "Please don't wander away like that... not all of us are as understanding as I." Yugi nodded, not daring to try to think of this man as the pharaoh, knowing he would surely tremble if he were to. "Now, we'll escort, Onuris back to the high priest's quarters and go back to bed, all right Aibou?" Atem was proud of that word, he asked Honda what partner meant in Japanese and being that the guard was fluent in three different forms of Asian as well as Egyptian and a few European languages. That's why Atem insisted on taking Honda everywhere he went to act as an ambassador. "How long do you want to stay with me?"

Yugi blinked and blushed at the question. He did ask forever before, but now that he found out his man was of high importance it was almost wrong even to think he could. "As long as you want me to, Pharaoh."

* * *

Oh how I must add fluff... how disgusting, ne?

Flame Swordswoman, Neith is Mai... sort of... she looks like her and has her personality slightly, but is more of an OOC version of her because I'm trying to make it an all YuGiOh cast. I was going to make Isis married to Seto but I need Isis for a little later, so... yeah... I know you like her and Jou together, but not in this story.

Thanks again for the Kaiba torture Nite Nite! But he isn't a pervert! He's a nympho! Jou's the pervert! (Still enjoyed the hell out of the review though... so many perverted things said that would leave children at their innocence)

I'm wondering if I should just respond to everyone's reviews... All well... review or I'll cry!! ... Okay not really...


	7. Just Love

Miss me? I've been gone for a while and boy was it a month of chaos. Suicide, anime, and of course good boy on boy lovin'. I noticed no one seems to be posting from my Author Alert, so I suppose I should try to start a trend of posting again. One thing though... I'm working on a few different stories... And I was wondering what one I should put up. I'll have the ones I'm fighting with to put up on my profile and you guys can pic. They'll have a brief description for all my viewers. Or, hey, if you don't believe I'm capable of doing two stories at once, tell me, because I'd rather be safe than sorry.

* * *

Jou awoke the next morning with the sun climbing high in the sky and a figure over him. He yawned, smiling up to who he thought to be Seto with how blurry his slight was with the lack of sleep from the night before. The figure leaned down to him and Jou took in a mixture of what seemed to be beautiful wines and scented flowers, rather than the spicy scent of the priest's perfume or his natural musk, which he rather enjoyed. 

Realising that there was no possible way it was his master, the blonde jumped up and backed away quickly to get away from the stranger, only to recognise the woman as priest Seto's wife; standing over him, smirking.

"Sleep well?" Neith asked and sat on the bed, leaning over to expose a great amount of her breasts to the slave. "I hope so, because I no longer feel like waiting, now make up your mind and decide your fate." She crawled over to him and pinned him down, kissing him deeply. Jou grunted and pulled his hands away from Neith's.

Was the woman insane, he thought to himself. Here she was kissing him in her husband's own chambers regardless of the fact that he might choose that moment to come in. That and he was rather unnerved at the magician's behaviour; Neith had an upper hand over him and she knew it.

"I can't! Seto'll kill me!" He pushed himself away from her and stood on the bed. "Neith, even if you got what you wanted, I would still end up dead! Get someone else to do it!"

Neith growled and smacked the blonde, raking her sharpened, polished nails against his cheek, actually making him bleed as though a cat scratched him. "NO! He looks at you differently than me! He takes care of you! He lets you share his bed and he lets you play with his brother! Why you and not me! His wife! I'm sick of it!"

Jou looked up in surprise at the outburst and saw Neith's pretty face contracted horribly with anger and jealousy. Before he knew it, her manicured hands were at his throat, tearing away at the simple tunic that was his only cover.

"Neith, what are you…?"

"It's not fair!" she shrieked, caring nothing for eavesdroppers or spies. She continued to claw at his garments and at one point, she managed to tear the sleeve of his outfit clear off.

Amidst her wrath, Jou shot his hands out and grabbed a wrist and pinned it against her side. "I'm sorry, Neith." He gasped, trying to avoid the other fist beating on his chest. The priest's wife had officially gone insane, but the slave couldn't help but feel for her. She was royalty only in name, her husband cared nothing for her and made the fact obvious and she was forced to watch as Seto favoured another man, a slave no less. She was an affronted soul, who was now bent on revenge.

"I'm sorry, Neith," Jou said again, his grip loosening over her immobilized hand. "I'm sorry he treats you that way, I'm sorry he makes his apathy so obvious. However, you won't achieve anything by using me…"

"Shut up, you whore!" Neith freed her hand and slapped the slave right across the face. Delicate as she looked, the pain she caused made the other slightly nauseous. Taking advantage of it, Neith fell on the blond, gripping the front of his tunic and feeling the poor fabric give. "I don't need your pity, you foreign bastard, I will conquer my own husband and you will be my sacrifice. So you'll die, who cares? He certainly won't!"

The slave's eyes snapped to the side and he saw the rod Seto used when travelling to Heliopolis. He needed a diversion of some sort so he could remove Neith off himself and find better ground in case she decided to attack again. Currently, the only thing within reach was that rod. He quickly picked it up and lunged the dagger end of it towards Neith. He did it half blindly and took moments before he realized he had actually stabbed her directly in the chest. Her angry face instantly smoothed as she inhaled quickly, bright purple eyes widened. Tears of pain and helplessness quickly coursed out of her eyes. "J-Jou... why?" She pulled the sennen rod out of her chest, blood pouring out of the wound made right above her left breast. She fell back, sobbing as the pain consumed her. "I un...nderstand now... you're ju-just like h-him..."

Jou felt himself tense up as the scent of blood filled his nose. His mind was far from grasping the fact that he had just killed the High Priest's wife, rather he was filled with a sense of accomplishment. "Neith... you're soul is corrupt... I just... I can't leave him..." He hugged the magician, looking into her clouded eyes. He had fought and killed formidable warriors, but never a woman. "He's too important... I'll never betray him... even if he did deserve it."

She gripped onto Jounouchi's chest, breathing roughly as, still crying before the once beautiful woman began to cough up blood until she let out her last breath.

-

Seto strode down the sandstone corridors quickly and efficiently as was his way. The sun had risen well above the sky, he noticed. Hopefully, the slave was wake to provide him with some entertainment. He desperately needed some after that rather inane council session this morning. As usual, it was those filthy foreigners wanting lower taxes on the products they shipped into Egypt; they never understood the fact that Egypt couldn't afford to lower taxes this year. In addition, there had been more reports from the outside that Rome was planning to annex Egypt and turn her into a Roman province.

Seto scoffed. As long as he was alive, Egypt would never become anything other than a sovereign nation, much less under those twisted barbarians. He wondered briefly if Jou knew anything about it. Perhaps he could use the slave to get inside the Roman mind, however small it might be, and straighten the deal out. The priest sighed. Yami would come to his secluded chambers in a few moments to discuss the issue, hopefully, he could get some rest before that and see Jou.

Shaking his head, Seto threw open the door to his chambers, meeting with an un-divined horrific sight.

"Katsuya! What the hell?" Seto yelled and Jou jumped up, covered in blood from the stomach down. He looked to his wife and just couldn't believe that was where all the blood came from. "G-get out! Yami's going to be here soon! Get to the fucking balcony now!" His voice was weak and in a higher pitch than usual, completely freaked out by the way his wife looked.

The blonde stood there for a few moments. He wanted to tell Seto, he wanted to tell him why he did it and what Neith was planning, but shook his head and ran off, leaping to the curtained balcony, breathing hard.

Seto looked at the situation before him. Why the hell did this happen? Quickly, he pulled himself together and grabbed the bloody sennen rod, realising how Jou killed Neith. He pointed it towards his wife. Of course it was too late, the ka was no longer there, it left the body too quickly and all he received were fuzzy images of Jou lunging forward with a golden object.

He exhaled slowly, looking down on the bleeding figure. Neith's eyes were open, glaring emptily. The priest felt no remorse whatsoever other than the waste of a ka that could have been sealed or sacrificed when she died. "I'm glad you're dead... fucking whore..." He picked up the corpse, blood running down his robes and he gripped the woman's chilling skin. "Kisara hated you too... of course... she was timid... and she was afraid of you. I guess not everyone is like her..."

Atem entered the room and stopped suddenly, seeing his cousin drenched in the blood of his wife. "W-what happened?"

Jou looked into the room from behind gossamer curtains apprehensively and saw Seto drop to one knee, laying Neith down in front of him. "I just snapped Yami... I couldn't take it anymore... she... please forgive me..." His voice was low and Jou almost couldn't hear him, but he knew what was going on despite the auditory handicap. Seto was taking the blame for him... but... why?

The Pharaoh stood still for awhile, as if he was weighing Seto, Neith and the excuse. Then, Atem quickly hugged his cousin, knowing that even though Seto seemed to have a social disorder of some kind, he always meant well for the most part. "No one will know, cousin! Her funeral will be in silence... we'll... we'll say a bandit broke in! Murdered her! Seto... all will be forgotten in time!"

"I knew I could count on you, Yami..." He looked up to the pharaoh with a slightly sadistic look in his eyes. True, everything will be forgotten in time, but just to be sure Atem wouldn't change his mind, "I'm so glad she's gone though... and... in a way... it's your fault she's dead... if you hadn't allowed us to get married..." Yami became pale at the comment before looking away. "She was a burden anyway... Yami..."

Atem looked down at the girl once known as Mai, once one of his friends until she grew up and was taught to call, and respect him as the pharaoh lordship, the god on earth. "She's not the same person as we once knew, she changed like the rest of us... she became miserable and married into misery, lived around misery... she had a chance for something better..."

"I told her to leave before getting sucked into the curse... she didn't believe in it and now look what happened..." His voice had no regret in her death, he was glad, it was over, he was free. "Now... please... let's get her to the priests... they can deal with her."

Atem nodded, not knowing what else to think, his mind cascading with so many events, and this being the newest one to lash his soul that much more. His outer appearance fooled even the closest of people to him, but it was becoming too much... he was going to shatter and this situation didn't help. He was torn between punishing the priest for a murder and forgiving his cousin for his wrong. It was one of the many obstacles he had to face as the Pharaoh. He had no choice, this was his destiny and nothing could change it.

He explained everything, the word of the Pharaoh never a lie, even if it wasn't true it was _never _a lie. So, of course, the head priest of the temple took the woman known as Neith into his arms, blessing her as he walked off and Seto sighed, looking at Atem. "I must go purify the sennen rod before we commence the ritual... inform the others of the... tragedy." He walked off calmly and Atem put his palms over his eyes as soon as no one was in sight.

He fell to his knees and grunted, feeling the stress over his mind too strong for the physical strength of his being. The new pharaoh was barely in reign for a year, but it was becoming too much. His body began to tremble as he brought himself into a ball.

"Yami!" A higher pitched voice called out and Atem looked up to see Yugi looking down at him with a worried expression. "Yami, are you alright?" The small boy with spiky hair much like the pharaoh asked, dropping down and lifting his head up. "I'll go get some help!" The pharaoh grabbed him and kept the boy from moving, shaking his head and smiling up at him. "Pharaoh... please... you're hurt..."

"I'm fine..." He chuckled, his eyes glazed over with a dreamy aura as he looked at the boy. It was odd, a moment ago he actually was hurt, his whole body was in pain and his head felt like it was going burst, but now he was fine... everything was alright, nothing seemed wrong now, he felt at peace. "I just... felt weird... but I'm better now." Yugi let up a sigh and helped Atem up, smiling. "I thought I was supposed to be protecting you?" The pharaoh asked, laughing at Yugi when his face turned red. "Lets go... you can watch the priests and I perform the ceremony for Ra."

"That sounds cool!" Yugi chirped and suddenly, the burden Atem carried didn't seem to be as heavy as before. His heart felt at peace for once, like this... this boy was the cure to his sickness.

-

Seto went into his room, throwing the sennen rod on the bed, storming over to the balcony and roughly pulled Jou in by his shoulders. Jou winced under the priest's vice grip, but didn't have time to lament his situation as he was thrown violently to the cold sandstone floor.

"How dare you!" Seto hissed before kicking the blonde slave square in the stomach. "I give you freedom and you kill my wife!" Bracing his body, Jou let out a cough and closed his eyes, trying to forget... or accept the pain he was going through. He should be used to this; he was a warrior, a Roman warrior. But, when it came from Seto, every lash seemed to have double the force of anything he had experienced previously.

The slave stood about half way up before getting slapped down again. He tried again, getting the same results as last time. "I-" Was all he could get out without shrinking before Seto's venomous eyes. Eyes that promised death and a rearing cobra's head, ready to strike like nothing possibly could. Seto hissed out at him, venom gushing from his mouth, ready to strike like no man ever could.

"Did you think by getting rid of her I'd favour you or something?" Seto dropped to his knees and snaked his slender fingers around the slave's throat softly almost like a caress, but quickly it turned lethal as it squeezed down to become painful while the other hand moved like an asp, striking and bruising his face. One hand squeezed down while the other hand punched at his face. "There's no justification!" The priest pressed his body against Jou's, making it all that much harder for the slave to breathe, his master blinded by rage.

Jou let out a wheeze as his air supply began to run out and the pressure on his throat was almost too much to handle, but his body screamed for more air on top of all the abuse. He believed Seto when he said _No Justification. _"S-she... wanted... m...meh... to be...tray... you..."

His face began to shift colours, but Seto didn't stop. Now the priest became too confused to realise his situation. His other hand joined the first on the slave's neck, but stood undecided on whether it wanted to help its companion or stop it. It was when he saw tears run down the beautiful slave's now red on red eyes he quickly released and threw his own body back.

He panted hard, trying to calm down closing his slate-blue eyes and taking one last breath before standing up, stumbling over to the slave, nearly prostrating before him. "You... don't deserve my sympathy..."

"I never asked for it," the slave said with a grunt, not questioning why his master all of a sudden stopped his assault.

Seto sighed, trying to keep himself calm and rolled his shoulders, knowing the next question he was going to ask would piss him off again, but it needed out in the open. Of course in his mind it was a question, when it came out of him mouth it was more of a demand. "You better have a damn well explanation for everything because if there's anything I hate it's when I have to lie." He muttered, his eyes filled with rage, but the rest of him just a bit tense. Obviously he wasn't really worried about Neith's death, but really the fact the _he_ sinned for Jou.

"When I went out and you gave me money, she found out!" Jou said quickly, trying not to stumble over his words when started to feel like his tongue was ready to twist up. "Neith found out and she told me that if I didn't help her get... back at you for some reason, that she'd accuse me of thievery and told me I'd die!" He didn't bother mentioning his reward if committing such an act, because in reality, he knew he'd never really go back, Seto wouldn't let him, in fact, Seto would kill him before 'giving' him to someone else. A man who was obsessed with his possessions.

"I couldn't go through with it..." he continued, keeping his gaze away from his master's eyes. "So I killed her... and it's only really fair that... you kill me? I'll kill myself if that's it... drown in the Nile, slit my throat..." The slave's eyes became dull, thinking of all the ways he should, and probably would be punished, that's why he suggested dying now, it would be less painful. He knew his place. He saw how slaves were treated in Rome and it was probably no different here. He was already tortured enough on the inside, ever since loosing that battle and being spared, and it only seemed to get worse from there. "Just let me die quickly... please..."

Seto gazed at him for a long time, and Jou didn't bother questioning why. There was a long moment of silence, noises usually not heard from the outside made their way in, but that changed when Seto began snickering and Jou flinched. Then the snickering turned into all out laughter, but eventually it faded. "You're a fucking moron..." He whispered harshly, getting into a position on one knee, looking as though he would stand soon. "I might be a bastard, but I never go back on my word and I promised to never do to you what I did to Kisara. You won't get off easy, but you'll die when it's your time as long as I'm around." Encouraging words to the blonde, no doubt.

He stood up, towering over the seated slave and went over to the rod he had earlier discarded and closed his eyes, letting his Ka search the sennen rod for the evil that plagued it because of the murder. If he didn't purify the Sennen Item, the evil would quickly grow, being how the items were formed, and eventually turn Seto towards evil, like the sennen eye did to his father.

He searched the rod mentally from top to bottom, seeing white, looking for the darkness, but it couldn't be found. As though Jou's evil did not transfer into the item, but with such inexperienced Ka it must have released all the evil into the golden object. There was none to be found and Seto didn't doubt he missed something. There was just none and the anger had been washed over with confusion.

It didn't make sense anymore. Not a few minutes earlier did he think Jou killed the bitch because he didn't want to sleep with her and/or had much more respect for his master. Perfect sense, right? But that means there would be evil involved. Killing someone involves evil! That's how it works! No matter how valiant, murder is murder!

Of course if there was none, he couldn't expel the evil, now could he?

So he opened his eyes and turned to Jou, who was still on the ground. "You're coming with me." He hissed and Jou slowly made it to his feet, standing up straight. Seto let out a sigh as he noticed the swollen red marks on his slave's neck and walked over to him, lifting his chin to inspect them. "Your neck will probably bruise..." The priest's tone changed from a hiss to a soft whisper. "If people see these after realising Mai's death, they'll suspect something." He turned and waved for his slave to follow him. He went though his belongings, bringing out a large wooden box that had Egyptian craved into it, looking unprofessionally done, but still readable... if that's what Egyptian writing looked like that. As far as Jou knew it could be anything.

Seto opened the box that was probably imported from another country and slowly took out a beautiful gold choker necklace that would fit the whole width of anyone's neck. It had about the largest ruby Jou had ever seen imbedded in the middle. Seto scooted over to Jou and tilted his chin up, stretching his neck a bit. "Kisara wrapped a cloth around her leg, keeping the ruby with her when she was sold into slavery... she gave it to me and had a necklace made out of it and gave it back... but it didn't ever look good on her... I looks nice on you though." He put around Jou's neck, making the slave gasp as the coldness of the choker hit his wounds and the priest put the golden hook into a the hole on the other side of the necklace, keeping it together. "That should hide it."

"...Don't you think someone will get suspicious that a slave is wearing a beautiful piece of jewellery?" Jou asked, running his hands over the choker and lowered his head back to a more normal position.

"It matches, that's about all the excuse I need." And Seto was right. The gold matched Jounouchi's hair perfectly and his eyes were the same colour as the ruby was. "Besides, my wife just died, I can do whatever the fuck I want." He waved it off and stood up, helping his slave up as well. "I have a ceremony to perform today before Ra and you will come along with Mokuba." He once again led his slave on to the closet were he had placed his clothes. Both their outfits were stained with blood and unfortunately Seto had nothing but extravagant clothing, silks made in China, mostly, but he had others, of course he left those in Memphis. So he shrugged it off, figuring that it would be better than letting the boy walk around in a blood covered skirt.

He pulled out one of his most favourite tunics and threw it to Jou. "I hate this one, you can use it." Of course he lied, he wasn't about to admit he wanted to see his slave in something beautiful. "We still have time so you're wearing kohl."

Jou stripped himself of his tunic and used it to wipe the blood off his chest before putting on the outfit, a beautiful red silk, flowing piece of material if the ex-warrior had seen one. He lifted it over his head and put his arms through the holes on either side, letting the cool cloth caress his body as it slid down. Seto walked around him and tied the thick red dyed weave sting, tightening the silk around Jou's body. "What's kohl?" He asked, squeaking a little as the cloth squeezed around his body.

Seto smirked and leaned his head over Jou's shoulder so the slave could see his face. With the added constriction from the cloth and now Seto's body right up against him, Jou was feeling as though he couldn't breathe, the priest's face so close to his own. "It's the black stuff on my eyes, moron." Jou nodded quickly and Seto left him, going over a small table in the middle of the large room, and picked up a little black jar. "Come here." Jou once again did as he was told as Seto brought a tiny brush out of the jar. "Close your eyes, act as though you're looking up and keep your face straight." Seto demanded with a no nonsense tone. "It will make everything much easier."

Jou thought about it for a moment, wondering how he would do that, but when he realised how, he did so, closing his eyes and rolling his eyes back and kept his face completely level. He felt a long, cold tingling at his eyes and he resisted fluttering his eyelids even though it tickled. The ticking would stop for a bit and Jou would think it was done, ready to open his eyes, but the brush would return to his eye. The same thing for the next one and if earlier events didn't leave things so grim, he even could have let out a giggle.

When the tickling stopped completely Jou opened his eyes enough to see. "Am I done?" Seto nodded, his eyes had a curious glow the slave had never seen before. The usual harsh cobalt turned into a soft midnight blue and Seto tilted his head, looking down to the boy. "What's wrong?"

"You look beautiful, Katsuya." Was all he stated, his tone as soft as his eyes as he brushed a hand across Jou's bangs. "A bit God-like." His lips curled a bit, making a small smile and his hand ran down to Jou's pale skin to his chin, taking it between his thumb and forefinger.

Ebony on ivory.

As far as Jou could tell, Seto's mood, or personality-which ever was the guy's mental problem-had calmed down and he seemed a bit submissive. Like Jou could steal a kiss from him right now and Seto would just soften as well as smile more.

"Thank you," The blonde whispered, feeling a blush rise on his face. "You're pretty too." His words slurred slightly as he looked up into his master's welcoming eyes and there was a long silence between the two, just them gazing at one another before Jou finally spoke up. "I'd never do anything to hurt you."

"I know," He leaned over slightly, Jou's chin still between in his fingers and pressed with lips together softly, only for a second or two, but it was still enough to make Jou's heart skip a beat when feeling the priest smooth lips against his own. "Now let's go."

As Seto walked to the exit, Jou just watched him, beyond confused as usual, the only difference from anytime before is he was getting pretty pissed off that he never seemed to know that was going on. "Hey! Wait!" Seto turned and only began to walk again.

They came out of the room to see Mokuba standing outside for them. "Wow, Katsuya!" The boy squeaked, not knowing the scruffy teen could clean up so very well. He was almost jealous of his brother for having such a pretty slave to himself now, while he wasn't allowed to have one being Seto couldn't trust any thing that owned a soul and because of certain laws, he couldn't take a soul away from humans nor animals. "Why can't I have a slave?" He pouted to his brother, looking up with big shining, dark grey eyes. "A pretty one! Like yours!"

Seto ignored Mokuba, hearing what his little, thirteen year old brother said. Jou on the other hand looked at the boy oddly, wondering if he was- "Let's go already." Seto said quickly, grabbing his adopted brother's hand and rushing off, Jou following right behind him.

* * *

Creepy way to end this chapter, ne? The whole chapter was creepy really...Of course I'm a sadist, so shoot me. -dodges bullets- Eheheheh... Not funny. 


End file.
